Burkhart Grob G102 N154SS
16 June 1996 · Mesquite, Nevada, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 16 June 1996 at about 00:30 local time, a Burkhart Grob G102 registered N154SS was involved in an accident near Mesquite, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mesquite, Nevada, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G102
- Registration
- N154SS
- Category
- Glider
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Llano → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX96LA234
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in his being forced to land in an area with unsuitable terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the lack of available (thermal) lift, downdraft(s), and the resultant lack of suitable terrain for an off-airport (emergency) landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and 11 other glider pilots planned to fly nonstop on a 500 kilometer flight from their point of departure, after an aero tow to 7,000 feet mean sea level. No communication difficulties or control problems were reported during periodic radio contacts between the glider pilot and the ground crew. En route, some of the glider pilots experienced turbulence and occasional downdrafts. Subsequently, the glider collided with rough terrain near a ridge line. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot's son indicated that his father was apparently unable to locate sufficient lift to continue his flight for an additional 11 miles to the destination airport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Burkhart Grob G102 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 1996 | Burkhart Grob G102 | Minden, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1996 | Burkhart Grob G102 | Warner Springs, California, United States | Sky Sailing | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 1995 | Burkhart Grob G102 ASTIR CS | Jean, Nevada, United States | Ralph D. Biesemeyer | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1998 | Burkhart Grob G102 | Douglas, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1993 | Burkhart Grob G102 | Kingston, Georgia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2001 | Burkhart Grob G102 STD ASTIR III | Faribault, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 1996 | Cessna 152 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Aerleon Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Ely, Nevada, United States | Michael E. Scholl | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1996 | Beechcraft E33A | Mesquite, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1996 | Bellanca 17-30A | Jackpot, Nevada, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1996 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Jean, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Mar 1996 | Russman AVID FLYER | Searchlight, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |