Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO accident near Dillingham, Hawaii, February 20, 2012
On February 20, 2012 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO (glider), registered N103SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Dillingham, Hawaii (Dillingham Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2012 · about 6:05 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Dillingham, Hawaii · Dillingham Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- N103SH · registry record · serial 34051-K-281
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing sequence, the student pilot pushed the control stick of the glider forward just before touchdown. This action resulted in the glider landing hard and bouncing about one foot back into the air. The student pilot then forced the glider onto the runway a second time, after which it bounced about five feet back into the air. In trying to recover from the second bounce, the student pilot forced the glider onto the runway a third time. When the glider again bounced back into the air, it pitched up to a degree such that the aft end of the fuselage contacted the asphalt runway. The student pilot then leveled the glider and allowed it to descend to the runway surface in a near level attitude. Both the composite tail boom and the composite vertical fin were cracked.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Hana Hou Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PHDH Dillingham HI at 5:58 pm
- Destination: PHDH Dillingham HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 9,007 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N103SH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Burkhart Grob G-103 71 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Burkhart Grob 99 aircraft on the register
- Kawaihapai Airfield · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Hawaii 524 since 1982 · 86 in the last ten years
- Hawaii 650 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR12CA134.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.