Piper PA-18-180 and Burkhart Grob G103 accident near Colorado Spgs, Colorado, November 19, 1983
On November 19, 1983 at about 5:28 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Piper PA-18-180 (N3594P) and Burkhart Grob G103 (N4246L), were involved in the same accident near Colorado Spgs, Colorado (Black Forest airport). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 1983 · about 5:28 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Spgs, Colorado · Black Forest
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Piper PA-18-180 · all PA-18-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3594P · registry record · serial 18-4552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Burkhart Grob G103 · all G103s on the register
- Registration
- N4246L · no longer on the register · serial 3609
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA-18-180 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIPER PA-18, N3594P, WAS BEING USED TO TOW A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUBAU G103 TWIN ASTIR, N4246L. AT 0950 MST, THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 310 DEG AT 9 KTS. SINCE THE TERRAIN SLOPED DOWNHILL TO THE SOUTH, RWY 17R (COVERED WITH HARD PACKED SNOW) WAS BEING USED FOR TAKEOFF. THE GLIDER CLUB HAD A POLICY THAT ALL TAKEOFFS WOULD BE MADE TO THE SOUTH, BUT NO TAKEOFFS WERE PERMITTED IF THE TAILWIND EXCEED 20 KTS. THE TOW PLT REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, A QUARTERING REAR GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED & FORCED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY. THE ACFT TOUCH DOWN AT THE END OF THE RWY, ROLLED INTO SNOW & NOSED OVER. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) IN THE GLIDER REPORTED THE GLIDER HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN HE SAW THE TOW PLANE SETTLE TO THE GROUND & DISAPPEAR IN A CLOUD OF SNOW. THE GLIDER STUDENT RELEASED THE TOW ROPE. THE GLIDER ENTERED THE CLOUD OF SNOW. WHEN IT EMERGED FROM THE CLOUD, THE GLIDER AIRCREW SAW THE INVERTED TOW PLANE IMMEDIATELY AHEAD. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER HIT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR OF THE TOW PLANE. TOW PLT EST GUSTS, 15 KTS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The NTSB's narrative for the Burkhart Grob G103 final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIPER PA-18, N3594P, WAS BEING USED TO TOW A BURKHART GROB FLUGZEUGBAU G103 TWIN ASTIR, N4246L. AT 0950 MST, THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 310 DEG AT 9 KTS. SINCE THE TERRAIN SLOPED DOWNHILL TO THE SOUTH, RWY 17R (COVERED WITH HARD PACKED SNOW) WAS BEING USED FOR TAKEOFF. THE GLIDER CLUB HAD A POLICY THAT ALL TAKEOFFS WOULD BE MADE TO THE SOUTH, BUT NO TAKEOFFS WERE PERMITTED IF THE TAILWIND EXCEEDS 20 KTS. THE TOW PLT REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, A QUARTERING REAR GUST OF WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED & FORCED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE RWY. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT THE END OF THE RWY, ROLLED INTO SNOW & NOSED OVER. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) IN THE GLIDER REPORTED THE GLIDER HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN HE SAW THE TOW PLANE SETTLE TO THE GROUND & DISAPPEAR IN A CLOUD OF SNOW. THE GLIDER STUDENT RELEARSE THE TOW ROPE. THE GLIDER ENTERED THE CLOUD OF SNOW. WHEN IT EMERGED FROM THE CLOUD, THE GLIDER AIRCREW SAW THE INVERTED TOW PLANE IMMEDIATELY AHEAD. THE LEFT WING OF THE GLIDER HIT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR OF THE TOW PLANE. TOW PLT EST GUSTS, 15 KTS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record for the Piper PA-18-180 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 862 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,046 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 1,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from COS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Burkhart Grob G103 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 4,720 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 673 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Operator: Waye Flights, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 1,000 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.