On August 28, 1999, a Burkhart Grob 103C (registration N103MS) was involved in an aviation accident near San Antonio, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to attain proper runway alignment of the glider resulting in failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A factor was the high density altitude. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A solo student pilot struck a tree with the glider's wing while correcting the flight path to align with the runway centerline. The pilot had 15.2 total hours and 2.4 solo hours.
Incident Details
During the final approach, the wing of a glider struck a tree as the solo student pilot was correcting the flight path to align the glider with the runway centerline. The density altitude at the time of the incident was calculated at 4,215 feet.
Pilot Information
The student pilot had accumulated 15.2 hours of total flight time in gliders. He was endorsed for solo flight and had logged 2.4 hours of solo flight time in the same type of glider.
Operator Statement
The operator reported that the accident could have been prevented by 'maintain[ing] adequate clearance over obstacles.'
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