Schleicher ASH25M accident near Kamuela, Hawaii, October 7, 2012
On October 7, 2012 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Schleicher ASH25M (glider), registered N513WK, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Kamuela, Hawaii (Waimea-Kohala Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the glider after it encountered atmospheric conditions while maneuvering where the lift was not sufficient to maintain flight, which resulted in a stall and impact with terrain during the subsequent approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2012 · about 8:30 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Kamuela, Hawaii · Waimea-Kohala Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schleicher ASH25M · all ASH25Ms on the register
- Registration
- N513WK · no longer on the register · serial 25263
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that on the day of the accident the weather was marginal, with low clouds and shifting wind. He took off in the motorized glider and then stowed the engine. About 1 mile northwest of the airport, the pilot realized that the wind was not conducive to convective activity, and the glider started to descend. The pilot turned back toward the airport and extended the engine/propeller to restart the engine; however, the engine would not start. The pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and lowered the landing gear. As the pilot was turning from the downwind to the base leg of the traffic pattern, the left wing of the glider stalled; the glider subsequently impacted the ground and cart-wheeled before coming to a rest in a field. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he believed the accident occurred because "everything happened so fast,” and he was unable to use a checklist.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern base)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 31, 2011
- Medical certificate: Unknown (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 2012; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,742 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Mid-West AE50R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHMU Kamuela HI at 8:15 pm
- Destination: PHMU Kamuela HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,197 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from PHKO, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2013. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Manual Excerpts | PDF, 3 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
- N513WK: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Schleicher ASH-25 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Schleicher 506 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Mid-West AE50R 11 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Waimea-Kohala Airport · 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/WPR13LA007.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.