Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO accident near Warner Springs, California, November 26, 2010
On November 26, 2010 at about 8:55 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO (glider), registered N855BG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Warner Springs, California (Warner Springs Gliderport airport). It was an instructional 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certified flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the crosswind and delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 2010 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Warner Springs, California · Warner Springs Gliderport · 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 TWIN II ACRO · all G-103A TWIN II ACROs on the register
- Registration
- N855BG · no longer on the register · serial 34017-K-249
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that he was providing instruction to a student pilot in a glider. After a routine local instructional flight, they returned to the departure airport for landing. The student was flying the glider and the CFI was providing verbal instructions to him as they completed a standard traffic pattern to the dirt landing area. He reported that there was a crosswind at 12 knots, gusting to about 20 knots. The glider encountered a high sink rate and the CFI took authority over the controls. The glider ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the tail. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: glider; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,260 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 10,190 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,248 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,279 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Sky Sailing INC
The flight
- Departed from: CL35 Warner Springs CA at 8:27 pm
- Destination: CL35 Warner Springs CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from RNM, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 WPR11CA060.