Burkhart Grob G-109B accident near Bend, Oregon, June 27, 1994
On June 27, 1994 at about 10:34 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-109B (glider), registered N109KM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bend, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT OF JUDGMENT AND PERFORMANCE DUE TO DRUGS, WHICH LED TO HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1994 · about 10:34 pm local time · cases in 1994
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G-109B · all G-109Bs on the register
- Registration
- N109KM · registry record · serial 6356
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE MOTORIZED GLIDER MAKING LOW-LEVEL STEEP TURNS AND PORPOISING-TYPE MANEUVERS OVER THE PILOT'S PROPERTY AND NEAR A FAMILY MEMBER'S HOUSE. THE LEFT WING AND NOSE THEN DROPPED, AND THE GLIDER IMPACTED THE GROUND. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS WERE POSITIVE FOR TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (MARIHUANA) (0.002 UG/ML BLOOD), THC CARBOXYLIC ACID (MARIHUANA) (0.012 UG/ML BLOOD, 0.158 UG/ML URINE), ALPRAZOLAM (0.035 UG/ML BLOOD), DIAZEPAM (0.207 UG/ML BLOOD), AND NORDIAZEPAM (0.305 UG/ML BLOOD).
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Am Flugplatz 174 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Central Oregon Soaring INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N109KM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Burkhart Grob G-109 25 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Burkhart Grob 99 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Am Flugplatz 174 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA94LA156.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.