Burkhart Grob G109B accident near El Paso, Texas, February 26, 1989
On February 26, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G109B (glider), registered N224BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (West Texas airport). It was a personal 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
PILOT IN COMMAND'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO OVERCONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT. THE SITUATION WAS PROCEEDED BY A HIGH SINK RATE THAT RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING WITH AN INADEQUATE RECOVERY FROM A BOUNCED LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S INEXPERIENCE AT FLYING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE RIGHT SEAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · West Texas · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G109B · all G109Bs on the register
- Registration
- N224BG · registry record · serial 6365
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK TWO PARKED ACFT FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE LANDING. THE PLT STATED THAT SHE OVERCONTROLLED WITH SPOILERS AFTER HAVING BOUNCED ON LANDING DUE TO A HIGH SINK RATE. WINDS WERE GUSTING AT THE TIME AND THE PLT WAS FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT, A POSITION FROM WHICH SHE HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,330 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,255 as pilot in command; 385 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 275 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 3, 1989; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,874 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Limbach L2000 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELP El Paso TX at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,100 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:49 pm from ELP, 10 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N224BG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Burkhart Grob G-109 25 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Burkhart Grob 99 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Limbach L2000 1 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lucky Star Ranch Airport · nearest airport
- EL Paso International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW89DQA03.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.