Burkhart Grob G103C TWIN III ACRO accident near Minden, Nevada, June 11, 2010
On June 11, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G103C TWIN III ACRO (glider), registered N41KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Minden, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's encounter with an area of degraded lift during cruise flight, resulting in a forced off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Burkhart Grob G103C TWIN III ACRO · all G103C TWIN III ACROs on the register
- Registration
- N41KP · registry record · serial 34176
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during cruise flight in the glider he encountered significant sinking air that prevented him from being able to make his destination glider port. He elected to make an off-field landing into a field. During the landing roll, the left wing contacted the ground and turned the glider to the left. During the turn, the glider's tail assembly separated from the fuselage. There was substantial damage to the tail structure.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of lift during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 2,637 as pilot in command; 2,050 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,069 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,323 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Northern California Soaring Association
The flight
- Departed from: Flanagan Dry Lk NV at 10:45 pm
- Destination: Minden NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from RNO, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 WPR10CA288.