Burkhart Grob 103 accident near Briggs, Texas, May 23, 1998
On May 23, 1998 at about 8:18 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob 103 (glider), registered N427BG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Briggs, Texas (Fault Line Flyers 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
The pilot's misjudgment of the distance and altitude. Factors were the lack of thermal lift and his diverted attention while on downwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1998 · about 8:18 pm local time
- Place
- Briggs, Texas · Fault Line Flyers
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob 103
- Registration
- N427BG · registry record · serial 3739
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot had released the glider from the tow plane prematurely at 1,500 feet MSL due to conflicting traffic. After 'thermalling with another glider for a while, he could not find much lift,' so he headed back to the airport to land. The pilot added that he was too low when he entered the downwind leg for runway 16; however, he estimated that he would be able to reach the approach end of the runway. In a written statement, he stated that he became distracted by a yellow glider that he thought was blocking the landing runway. The pilot reported that while maneuvering to land at the threshold for the 4,500-foot turf runway, he turned the aircraft onto the base leg prematurely; consequently the left wing impacted the ground nearly perpendicular to the runway near the threshold. Subsequently, the glider impacted the ground in a nose low attitude, bounced back in the air and impacted the ground in a tail low attitude, separating the tail section.
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: 199 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 1998; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TX23 at 8:08 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,500 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.