Summary
On September 17, 2015, a Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR (N3872G) was involved in an incident near Wellington, OH. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to level the wings during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking the runway.
The pilot of a glider reported that he encountered a "heavy sink" on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern. He immediately made a left steep turn toward the runway, but the left wing impacted terrain during the turn to final. Subsequently, the tail section of fuselage impacted the runway, and the glider came to rest on the runway surface. The fuselage sustained substantial damage.
About the time of the accident at an airport 11 nautical miles north of the destination airport, the wind was reported at 210 degrees true at 8 knots, the sky condition was clear, temperature was 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), and dew point was 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit).
The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have...
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA15CA299. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3872G.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to level the wings during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking the runway.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot of a glider reported that he encountered a "heavy sink" on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern. He immediately made a left steep turn toward the runway, but the left wing impacted terrain during the turn to final. Subsequently, the tail section of fuselage impacted the runway, and the glider came to rest on the runway surface. The fuselage sustained substantial damage.
About the time of the accident at an airport 11 nautical miles north of the destination airport, the wind was reported at 210 degrees true at 8 knots, the sky condition was clear, temperature was 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), and dew point was 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit).
The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA15CA299