Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 Twin Astir accident near Llano, California, June 3, 2006
On June 3, 2006 at about 7:13 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 Twin Astir (glider), registered N4464P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Llano, California (Crystal Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to recover from a porpoise/pilot induced oscillation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2006 · about 7:13 pm local time
- Place
- Llano, California · Crystal Airport · 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 · all G103 Twin Astirs on the register
- Registration
- N4464P · no longer on the register · serial 3823-K-82
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider landed hard on the runway and the empennage fractured from the remainder of the structure. On final approach, the glider entered a pilot induced oscillation. The glider then landed hard on the runway. The student pilot said that the glider did not have any mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
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: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
- Operator: Great Western Soaring School, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 46CN Llano CA
- Destination: 46CN Llano CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,700 ft by 32 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
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.