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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2013 · cases in 2013
- Place
- Bryon, California · Byron Airport · cases near this 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
1 document, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3981C on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Burkhart Grob G-103 71 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Burkhart Grob 99 aircraft on the register
- Byron Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,279 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14CA063.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.