Burkhart Grob G-102CS accident near Lake Placid, New York, October 15, 1995
On October 15, 1995 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-102CS (glider), registered CGUOX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Placid, New York. 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 inadequate evaluation of the weather. Contributing factors were the high winds and downdrafts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 1995 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Placid, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G-102CS
- Registration
- CGUOX · no longer on the register · serial 1352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The glider pilot released from the tow plane at 4,400 ft msl, and, using thermals, climbed to 5,200 feet. With 50-knot winds aloft, the pilot maneuvered to find a mountain wave on the downwind side of a mountain ridge. He first encountered a downdraft in excess of 1,000 feet per minute, and then he encountered a horizontal rotor. He was unable to reach rising air, and continued in a descent into the trees. The glider came to rest inverted, with the empennage separated from the fuselage.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 3,650 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,456 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 1995; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 834 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LKP at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.