Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR accident near Wellington, Ohio, September 17, 2015
On September 17, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1983 Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR (glider), registered N3872G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wellington, Ohio (Reader-Botsford 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 failure to level the wings during the landing flare, which resulted in the left wing striking the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Ohio · Reader-Botsford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 TWIN ASTIR TWIN II, built 1983 · all G103 TWIN ASTIRs on the register
- Registration
- N3872G · no longer on the register · serial 3777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a glider reported that he encountered a "heavy sink" on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern. He immediately made a left steep turn toward the runway, but the left wing impacted terrain during the turn to final. Subsequently, the tail section of fuselage impacted the runway, and the glider came to rest on the runway surface. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. About the time of the accident at an airport 11 nautical miles north of the destination airport, the wind was reported at 210 degrees true at 8 knots, the sky condition was clear, temperature was 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), and dew point was 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit). The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 429 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 8.6 in the last 90 days; 2.2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,278 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Fun Country Soaring INC
The flight
- Departed from: 67D Wellington OH at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 67D Wellington OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,850 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KLPR, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N3872G 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.