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CHI01LA207

2001-07-12 · Ionia, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport Y70

Current FAA registration · N140BG

Make / Model
BURKHART GROB G 103 TWIN II
Engine
NONE NONE
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19841219
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0A2D0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot not maintaining clearance from the tall grass during his recovery from the bounced landing. A factor was the tall grass.

Factual narrative

On July 12, 2001, about 1800 eastern daylight time, a Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II, N140BG, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage to its vertical and horizontal stabilizers and to its rear fuselage on impact with terrain during landing roll at Ionia County Airport (Y70), near Ionia, Michigan. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight departed from Y70 at 1550 and the glider was landing at the time of the accident. The pilot stated: After completing a 2 hour soaring flight, I approached landing area on a N-W heading. Upon touch down the aircraft bounced, I closed the spoilers to save the landing, this caused an increase in speed, burning up available landing area. In forcing the aircraft to the ground, I caught the right wing-tip in tall grass causing the aircraft to ground loop. No injury to pilot was involved. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure. The glider sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain. The pilot reported no injuries. The pilot stated, "Upon touch down the aircraft bounced, I closed the spoilers to save the landing, this caused an increase in speed, burning up available landing area. In forcing the aircraft to the ground, I caught the right wing-tip in tall grass causing the aircraft to ground loop. No injury to pilot was involved." The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2001_CHI01LA207.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.