N103SH Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO accident

NTSB WPR12CA134 · 2012-02-20 · Dillingham, HI · near PHDH

Docket — crew, injuries and powerplant

Summary

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.

Full narrative

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 that resulted in the aft end of the fuselage coming in contact with the asphalt runway. The student pilot then leveled the glider off and allowed it to descend to the runway surface in a near level attitude. It was later determined that both the composite tail boom and the composite vertical fin were cracked.

Probable cause

The student pilot’s inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident.

Circumstances

Event type
Accident
Highest injury
None
Weather conditions
Visual Meteorological Cond
Light condition
Day
Sky condition
NONE
Ceiling (ft)
0
Visibility (sm)
10
Wind direction
0
Temperature (F)
75
Nearest airport
Dillingham Airport
Distance from field
0.0

Aircraft

RegistrationMakeModelDamageFAR part
N103SH BURKHART GROB G-103A TWIN II ACRO SUBS 091

Sequence of events

#OccurrencePhase
1 Landing-flare/touchdown Hard landing defining Cruise
2 Landing-flare/touchdown Attempted remediation/recovery Cruise
3 Landing-flare/touchdown Abnormal runway contact Cruise

Findings

Finding
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 cause