NTSB Factual Report

On August 19, 2006, about 1340 Pacific daylight time, a Burkhart Grob G-103A glider, N103MG, collided with a Piper PA-25-235 airplane, N75HM, on the ground at North Plains Gliderport, North Plains, Oregon. The glider was on its landing roll, and the airplane was standing with its engine operating when the collision occurred. The private pilot of the glider sustained minor injuries and his passenger was not injured. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Both aircraft sustained substantial damage. The glider was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Willamette Valley Soaring Club, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans were filed for either aircraft. The glider was landing following a local personal flight, and the airplane was waiting to takeoff for a glider tow.

According to a witness, the glider landed to the west and was moving "fast" when its right wing dipped to the ground, and it ground looped to the right. The glider rolled directly into the airplane, which was stopped off the north side of the runway. Another witness stated that the glider was high and fast on its approach. After touchdown, the glider appeared to bounce and then continued down the runway "rolling fast and swerving out of control." The glider went past the cones marking the stop line, "looped north," struck the airplane and came to rest wedged under the airplane's right wing.

The glider pilot reported that on short final he noticed his "speed was fast at 60 KIAS." After touching down at 55 KIAS, he "pushed the nose down to engage the skid." However, the glider he was flying had a nose wheel, not a skid. When the pilot realized the glider had a nose wheel, he raised the nose back to level, and the glider hit a bump and briefly became airborne. At this point, the pilot noted that the glider "did not appear to be slowing fast enough." As the glider approached the stop line, it started to turn to the left, and he corrected to the right. He decided to steer between the tow airplane and the glider parked behind it, but "the wing was too slow to be controlled." The glider continued to turn right and collided with the tow airplane. Both canopies of the glider were shattered, and its right wing sustained structural damage. The glider pilot reported that he had 35.8 hours total time of which 31.6 hours were in gliders and 5.1 hours were in the make and model of glider being flown.

The pilot of the airplane reported that he observed the glider on its base leg and noted that it was "excessively high and fast." The glider touched down, became airborne, and then touched down again. As it rolled down the runway, the steering of the glider was "very erratic." The glider started turning right, and the pilot thought it might be headed between his airplane and the glider behind him, so he started to move forward. However, within seconds, the glider made a "sharp right turn" and headed directly towards him. He stopped, shutdown the airplane's engine, and was exiting the airplane's left door when the glider struck its right side. The right wing and belly of the airplane sustained structural damage.

NTSB Probable Cause

The glider pilot's misjudgment of distance/speed during approach, which resulted in excessive speed at touchdown, and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the glider pilot's lack of experience in the make and model of glider being flown.