Burkhart Grob G-103A Twin II Acro accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, July 17, 2004
On July 17, 2004 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-103A Twin II Acro (glider), registered N858BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Caddo Mills, Texas (Caddo Mills Municipal Airpo airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The other pilot's inability to maintain directional control during landing roll as a result of the failure of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2004 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Caddo Mills, Texas · Caddo Mills Municipal Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G-103A Twin II Acro · all G-103A Twin II Acros on the register
- Registration
- N858BG · no longer on the register · serial 34016-K-248
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor that was preparing the glider for flight reported that the glider had been positioned on the right side of the runway 31 (a 4,000-foot long and 150-foot wide concrete runway) waiting for the tow-plane to land and line up in front for the scheduled soaring flight. While standing, the flight instructor heard someone shout, and he looked up and the tow plane that had just landed on the left side of the runway, veering straight for the glider. Subsequently, the tow plane collided with the glider. The pilot of the tow plane reported that during the landing roll, he began a slight turn to the right to position the tow plane in front of the glider and the airplane veered to the left and to the right and collided with the glider. Examination of the tow plane revealed that the left main landing strut fractured due to fatigue, causing the main wheel assembly to separate from the steel landing gear strut.
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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Last flight review: February 10, 2004
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Southwest Soaring, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 7F3 Caddo Mills TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from TRL, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N858BG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.