Burkhart Grob Luft Und Raumfah G103 TWIN ASTIR TRAI N103T

Summary

On 26 November 2025 at about 20:55 local time, a Burkhart Grob Luft Und Raumfah G103 TWIN ASTIR TRAI registered N103T, operated by Huntsville Soaring Club, was involved in an accident near Brownsboro, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 November 2025 at 20:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Brownsboro, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Moontown Airport (3M5)

Coordinates

34.7483, -86.4624

Aircraft

Burkhart Grob Luft Und Raumfah G103 TWIN ASTIR TRAI

Registration

N103T

Category

Glider

Year built

1978

Operator

Huntsville Soaring Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA085

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s failure to properly lock the rear canopy prior to flight, which led to the canopy opening during aerotow at low altitude, and a subsequent off-airport landing in a corn field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and student pilot of the glider were under aerotow. The flight instructor reported that very early during the takeoff, the rear canopy opened. Sitting in the rear seat and controlling the glider, the flight instructor could not close the canopy in flight and believed that continuing the tow was a higher risk than releasing and landing straight ahead. When the glider was near treetop level, the flight instructor released the tow and elected to land in a harvested corn field directly off the end of the runway. Upon touchdown, corn stalks built up in front of the glider’s main wheel, bringing the glider to an abrupt stop upright and pivoting it 180º from the direction of landing, and resulting in substantial damage to the aft fuselage. The flight instructor reported that it was likely that he did not properly close and lock the rear canopy, and that the glider had no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.