Burkhart Grob G-109B accident near Pittstown, New Jersey, July 13, 1985
On July 13, 1985 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-109B (glider), registered N44GF, was destroyed in an accident near Pittstown, New Jersey (Alexandria airport). It was an instructional 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1985 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pittstown, New Jersey · Alexandria
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G-109B · all G-109Bs on the register
- Registration
- N44GF · registry record · serial 6344
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08 WAS NORMAL, HOWEVER IT WAS LONG. ALTHOUGH THE APPROACH WAS NOT TOO LONG TO LAND, THE STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER AND DECIDED TO GO AROUND. THE INS TRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER REALIZING THAT CLEARING THE TREES WOULD BE CLOSE. ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 10 FEET WEHN THE INSTRUCTOR TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD A CLEARER AREA. THIS ALTITUDE WAS BELOW THE TREE TOPS AHEAD. THE INSTRUCTOR RESET THE PROPELLER TO CLIMB PITCH IN CASE IT MAY HAVE GONE INTO CRUISE PITCH DURING THE GO AROUND. THEINSTRUCTOR CONTINUED THE GO AROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES WHEN IT COULD NO LONGER CLIMB ABOVE THE RISING 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,661 hours in all; 184 in this make and model; 167 in the last 90 days; 3,566 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Grob 2500 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Burkhart Grob,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 9N1 Pittstown NJ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: N85 Pittstown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 2,112 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.