Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 accident near Franconia, New Hampshire, May 13, 2007
On May 13, 2007 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 (glider), registered N39783, was substantially damaged in an accident near Franconia, New Hampshire (Franconia Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point. A factor in the accident was an encounter with an updraft while on approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2007 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Franconia, New Hampshire · Franconia Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G103 · all G103s on the register
- Registration
- N39783 · no longer on the register · serial 3805
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After about 2.5 hours of soaring in the Burkhart Grob Flugzeugbau G-103 glider, the pilot returned to the airport and entered the traffic pattern at 1,200 feet with a "small amount" of spoilers deployed. He turned onto the downwind leg at 800 feet, and used "more spoilers" to descend to 500 feet. He then turned onto the base leg, and at 300 feet and 60 knots airspeed, he turned onto the final leg of the approach and aligned the glider with the runway. He immediately felt the glider had entered rising air, so he performed a full slip with the spoilers deployed; however, the glider did not descend significantly. The pilot waited for the glider to exit the rising air mass, and it continued to descend moderately until about mid-field, when it descended rapidly. The glider touched down about 3/4 down the runway and bounced back into the air. Due to a pile of debris at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to close the spoilers, overfly the debris, and land the glider in the treetops ahead at a slow speed. Before he could accomplish his plan, a crosswind blew the glider towards a tree. The left wing contacted the tree, and the glider subsequently impacted the ground.
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: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 122 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 62 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,070 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1B5 Franconia NH
- Destination: 1B5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,305 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Observation at 6:52 pm from HIE, 14 miles away
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.