Burkhart Grob G103 accident near Wellington, Ohio, May 13, 2000
On May 13, 2000 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G103 (glider), registered N3872G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wellington, Ohio (Botsford Airfield). 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 maintain aircraft control. A factor was the pilot's improper in-flight decision to abort the initial climb due to an open canopy.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2000 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Ohio · Botsford Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G103 · all G103s 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 was in a glider being towed by an airplane. After takeoff, about 50 feet above the ground, the rear canopy of the glider 'banged' open. The pilot decided to abort the climb in an attempt to prevent canopy damage. He released from tow, and tried to land on the remaining runway. The pilot added that during the attempt, he lost control of the glider, and impacted terrain.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,149 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,239 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 18, 2000; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 67D at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,700 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LPR, 10 miles away
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 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.