Grob G103 Twin Astir accident near Morgan, UT
On July 14, 2003, a Grob G103 Twin Astir (glider) was involved in an accident near Morgan, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 14, 2003
- Place
- Morgan, UT
- Aircraft
- Grob G103 Twin Astir · Glider
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.019°N, 111.652°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030716X01117
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 14, 2003, at 1650 mountain daylight time, a Grob G103 Twin Astir glider, N27TA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Morgan, Utah. The commercial pilot in the front seat was fatally injured and the airline transport pilot-in-command in the back seat was seriously injured. The glider was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated from Morgan County Airport (42U), Morgan, Utah, at 1423. According to the statement provided by the pilot, he and the second pilot met at the airport at approximately 1405. The second pilot (the owner of the glider) had already prepared for the flight and they proceeded to organize for their tow. The tow pilot said that "the lift was weak down low, but as we got higher the lift got better." The glider released from the tow line at 9,200 feet. The tow pilot said that when he descended into the valley, to return to the airport, the lift was "O.K.," but there wasn't very much sink either. The pilot said the flight was uneventful, and he and the second pilot took turns flying. During the flight, they calculated their ground speed several times, and found that the winds varied from 5 to 7 knots. The pilot said that good lift became more difficult to find, so they decided to return to the airport. On the return flight they encountered a little sink, but "we couldn't find any lift." They quickly realized that "the lift conditions that were present were not going to get us back into Morgan [airport]." The pilot said that they located a field of "
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision to fly low over a mountain ridge. Contributing factors included the wind shear, altitude/clearance, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
