Event FTW94LA196

Factual narrative

On June 4, 1994, approximately 1900 mountain daylight time, a Burkhart Grob G 103 Twin II, N5462N, was substantially damaged during landing at Wellington, Colorado. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The newly certificated glider pilot was on his third solo flight in the G 103. The first solo flight had been uneventful. On his second solo flight, the landing approach had been flown faster than normal and the aircraft bounced on touchdown. On the third solo flight, the spoilers were opened halfway on base leg, and fully opened on final approach. The pilot said as he flared, the aircraft touched down "sooner than it should have" and bounced. He attempted to recover by retracting the spoilers to the halfway position and reducing the nose up attitude, but the aircraft landed hard on its nosewheel. The pilot said he "temporarily lost control" and the aircraft bounced along the ground, damaging the tailboom and vertical stabilizer. THE PILOT OPENED THE SPOILERS HALFWAY ON BASE LEG, THEN OPENED THEM FULLY ON FINAL APPROACH. AS HE FLARED FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN 'SOONER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE' AND BOUNCED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER BY RETRACTING THE SPOILERS TO THE HALFWAY POSITION AND REDUCING THE NOSE UP ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON ITS NOSEWHEEL AND THE PILOT SAID HE 'TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12