Burkhart Grob G-103A accident near Fremont, California, June 12, 1988
On June 12, 1988 at about 2:30 am local time, a Burkhart Grob G-103A (glider), registered N103BK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fremont, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1988 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Fremont, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G-103A · all G-103As on the register
- Registration
- N103BK · registry record · serial 33953-K-186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LOCAL FLT, THE GLIDER ENCOUNTERED A WINDSHEAR AND LOST ALTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN THE LOST ALTITUDE AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE WHERE DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE GLIDER COLLIDED WITH ROUGH TERRAIN.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 390 in the last 90 days; 140 in the last 30 days; 2,750 as pilot in command; 2,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,354 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 29, 1988; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8Q7 Fremont CA at 1:00 am
- Destination: 8Q7
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:55 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX88LA221.