Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II accident near Wellington, Colorado, June 5, 1994
On June 5, 1994 at about 1:00 am local time, a Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II (glider), registered N5462N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wellington, Colorado (Owl Canyon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER SPOILER EXTENSION AND FLARE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1994 · about 1:00 am local time · cases in 1994
- Place
- Wellington, Colorado · Owl Canyon · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II G 103 TWIN · all G 103 TWIN IIs on the register
- Registration
- N5462N · registry record · serial 3875
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OPENED THE SPOILERS HALFWAY ON BASE LEG, THEN OPENED THEM FULLY ON FINAL APPROACH. AS HE FLARED FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN 'SOONER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE' AND BOUNCED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER BY RETRACTING THE SPOILERS TO THE HALFWAY POSITION AND REDUCING THE NOSE UP ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON ITS NOSEWHEEL AND THE PILOT SAID HE 'TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL.'
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 148 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 73 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,654 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1994; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19R, 4,000 ft by 15 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N5462N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5462N on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Burkhart Grob G-103 71 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Burkhart Grob 99 aircraft on the register
- Engine: · as the NTSB recorded it
- Owl Canyon · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,485 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N5462N 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW94LA196.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.