Grob-Werke TWIN ASTIR N103GV

Summary

On 24 July 2025 at about 20:00 local time, a Grob-Werke TWIN ASTIR registered N103GV was involved in an accident near Franconia, New Hampshire, 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

24 July 2025 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Franconia, New Hampshire, United States

Coordinates

44.1749, -71.7644

Aircraft

Grob-Werke TWIN ASTIR

Registration

N103GV

Category

Glider

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Franconia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA287

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to detect the inadvertent deployment of the spoilers, which resulted in a prolonged, excessive descent rate. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to conduct a downwind approach versus a straight in approach to the diversionary airport, which resulted in an off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the glider was being towed to altitude near mountainous terrain when the glider encountered turbulence and rotor wave activity. The pilot reported that, after releasing from tow, he noted that the glider was in “some bad sink.” The pilot initially turned back to the airport but continued to lose altitude quickly. He then noticed that the spoilers were extended, retracted them, and attempted to reach a diversionary airport; however, the glider continued to descend rapidly. The pilot said he entered the airport traffic pattern rather than making a straight-in landing approach, but realized he had insufficient altitude to clear trees, and landed in a nearby field. Upon landing, the glider ground looped when it contacted tall grass resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot said there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.