Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Warner Springs Gliderport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Warner Springs, California 92086
Friday, November 26, 2010 12:55 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The certified flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the crosswind and delayed remedial action during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/26/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1255 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Warner Springs |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92086 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331704N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1164029W |
| Event Location Airport | Warner Springs Gliderport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CL35 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2885 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1395 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27809 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 2 2011 7:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N855BG |
| NTSB Number | WPR11CA060 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BURKHART GROB |
| Aircraft Model | G-103A TWIN II ACRO |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34017-K-249 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1279 |
| Aircraft Category | Glider |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 0 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 4 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7248 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SKY SAILING INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 31930 HIGHWAY 79 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WARNER SPRINGS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92086-9625 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SKY SAILING INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 31930 HIGHWAY 79 |
| Operator City | WARNER SPRINGS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92086-9625 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CL35 |
| Departure City | Warner Springs |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1227 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CL35 |
| Destination City | Warner Springs |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2010 4:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 08 |
| Runway Length | 4700 |
| Runway Width | 70 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |