What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 7, 2019 at approximately 10:00AM, the sat FSDO received a notification regarding a fatal accident involving a competition glider that departed garner field airport in uvalde, Texas on August 6, 2019.
The inspectors from this office arrived at approximately 1:35PM. The glider, N213DT, a Jonker JSI-C-21, was found inverted at the crash site with the majority of the wreckage confined to a small area, however several pieces of wing skin debris were located approximately 40 feet from the main wreckage. The nose cone was found buried underground under the right wing along with other remnants form the cabin. All of the flight controls and major structural components were found in the same area and mostly attached to the frame with a few pieces detached and damaged during impact. Flight control continuity could not be assessed due to the airframe and cockpit damage.
The empannage was twisted upright and to the right when looking from behind and the cockpit was fairly unrecognizable. The mud found at the wreckage site was discovered to have been produced by the ballast water that was thrown around during the impact.
The investigation of the cockpit revealed the seat belt shoulder harnesses were intact. However, the seat belt buckle was found approximately 40 feet from the main wreckage site. A spot tracker was found on-site and documented along with a partially damaged data logger. Investigation of the spot tracker revealed a final ping with the glider flying at approximately 80 knots while at 300 feet AGL.
Interviews of the glider competitors stated the group of gliders departed the day before, on August 6, 2019, at approximately 12:30PM, orbited the uvalde area and were released to their first ?gate? Near Cotulla, Texas. Between 6:30 and 7PM, the competitors returned. When they realized that N213DT had not returned, a search was initiated via flight service. The wreckage was not found until the next morning, August 7, 2019, at approximately 6:30AM.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 7, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00AM, THE SAT FSDO RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION REGARDING A FATAL ACCIDENT INVOLVING A COMPETITION GLIDER THAT DEPARTED GARNER FIELD AIRPORT IN UVALDE, TEXAS ON AUGUST 6, 2019.
THE INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1:35PM. THE GLIDER, N213DT, A JONKER JSI-C-21, WAS FOUND INVERTED AT THE CRASH SITE WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA, HOWEVER SEVERAL PIECES OF WING SKIN DEBRIS WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE NOSE CONE WAS FOUND BURIED UNDERGROUND UNDER THE RIGHT WING ALONG WITH OTHER REMNANTS FORM THE CABIN. ALL OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS WERE FOUND IN THE SAME AREA AND MOSTLY ATTACHED TO THE FRAME WITH A FEW PIECES DETACHED AND DAMAGED DURING IMPACT. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ASSESSED DUE TO THE AIRFRAME AND COCKPIT DAMAGE.
THE EMPANNAGE WAS TWISTED UPRIGHT AND TO THE RIGHT WHEN LOOKING FROM BEHIND AND THE COCKPIT WAS FAIRLY UNRECOGNIZABLE. THE MUD FOUND AT THE WRECKAGE SITE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY THE BALLAST WATER THAT WAS THROWN AROUND DURING THE IMPACT.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE INTACT. HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE SITE. A SPOT TRACKER WAS FOUND ON-SITE AND DOCUMENTED ALONG WITH A PARTIALLY DAMAGED DATA LOGGER. INVESTIGATION OF THE SPOT TRACKER REVEALED A FINAL PING WITH THE GLIDER FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS WHILE AT 300 FEET AGL.
INTERVIEWS OF THE GLIDER COMPETITORS STATED THE GROUP OF GLIDERS DEPARTED THE DAY BEFORE, ON AUGUST 6, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30PM, ORBITED THE UVALDE AREA AND WERE RELEASED TO THEIR FIRST ?GATE? NEAR COTULLA, TEXAS. BETWEEN 6:30 AND 7PM, THE COMPETITORS RETURNED. WHEN THEY REALIZED THAT N213DT HAD NOT RETURNED, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED VIA FLIGHT SERVICE. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING, AUGUST 7, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30AM.