Burkhart Grob 103 accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, October 3, 1997
On October 3, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob 103 (glider), registered N921G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Caddo Mills, Texas (Caddo Mills Municipal 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 flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor relating to the accident was: the gusty wind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Caddo Mills, Texas · Caddo Mills Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob 103
- Registration
- N921G · registry record · serial 3741
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses at the airport observed the glider land hard and porpoise 3 times while landing on runway 31. After the landing, the pilot was reported to have examined the glider for damage before proceeding to be hooked and towed for a second flight. While performing a preflight inspection, a student pilot and his flight instructor, who were scheduled to fly the glider after the private pilot, discovered that the glider was damaged. Damage to the glider included structural damage to the tail wheel, the rudder assembly, the lower portion of the empennage, and the main landing gear well. The private pilot reported that at the time of the mishap, the winds were from the north at 10 knots with occasional gusts to 15 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,874 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1,407 as pilot in command; 721 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7F3 at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.
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.