Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II accident near Bryon, California, December 8, 2013
On December 8, 2013, a 1983 Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II (glider), registered N3981C, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Bryon, California (Byron Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate wing clearance from a runway sign while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2013
- Place
- Bryon, California · Byron Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G 103 TWIN II, built 1983 · all G 103 TWIN IIs on the register
- Registration
- N3981C · registry record · serial 3807
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during landing the glider touched down slightly left of the runway centerline. He engaged the brakes and steered the glider towards the right side of the runway to prepare for a turn. When he approached the taxiway entrance, he released the brakes and started to turn to the left. During the turn the left wing struck a runway sign; the airplane made a sharp left turn, exited the runway surface and came to rest on the grass. During the accident sequence, the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 5 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 7, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,099 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Northern California Soaring Association
The flight
- Departed from: C83 Bryon CA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: C83 Bryon CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30R, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LVK, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14CA063.