What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12/06/2024, the pilot was conducting glider operations at New Hibiscus Airpark (X52) in a schliecher ASW-24B aircraft. The aircraft was towed to 3000 ft AGL and released to the south of the airfield. Witnesses state, and video evidence corroborates, that the aircraft entered the downwind (180 deg) at the ip. Ground personnel watching the flight stated they attempted to contact the pilot via radio, but the pilot did not respond. At approximately 1000 ft AGL, the aircraft entered a left wing down spin. The aircraft rotated approximately 2-3 times before the pilot rerecovered from the spin. Upon exiting the spin, approximately 100-150 ft AGL, the aircraft pitched up sharply to a high angle of attack, in turn stalling the aircraft. The aircraft then pitch nose over and impacted the ground vertically, nose and right wing down. The aircraft broke apart during the crash in the grassy median between east and west bound lanes of floriday hwy 60, approximately 0.5 miles west of I-95. The pilot was deceased upon impact. Post crash review of instruments indicated an impact speed of 130KTS.
The pilot was given a prefilght and cockpit orientation by the instructor pilot. The pilot showed no signs of health issues at the time of prefight.
Weather at the time of the accident is listed within the metars from vrb. Clear sky, 10SM, winds at 280, 7 KTS.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12/06/2024, THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING GLIDER OPERATIONS AT NEW HIBISCUS AIRPARK (X52) IN A SCHLIECHER ASW-24B AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO 3000 FT AGL AND RELEASED TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD. WITNESSES STATE, AND VIDEO EVIDENCE CORROBORATES, THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE DOWNWIND (180 DEG) AT THE IP. GROUND PERSONNEL WATCHING THE FLIGHT STATED THEY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PILOT VIA RADIO, BUT THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND. AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FT AGL, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A LEFT WING DOWN SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 2-3 TIMES BEFORE THE PILOT RERECOVERED FROM THE SPIN. UPON EXITING THE SPIN, APPROXIMATELY 100-150 FT AGL, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP SHARPLY TO A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK, IN TURN STALLING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PITCH NOSE OVER AND IMPACTED THE GROUND VERTICALLY, NOSE AND RIGHT WING DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT BROKE APART DURING THE CRASH IN THE GRASSY MEDIAN BETWEEN EAST AND WEST BOUND LANES OF FLORIDAY HWY 60, APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES WEST OF I-95. THE PILOT WAS DECEASED UPON IMPACT. POST CRASH REVIEW OF INSTRUMENTS INDICATED AN IMPACT SPEED OF 130KTS.
THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A PREFILGHT AND COCKPIT ORIENTATION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT. THE PILOT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF HEALTH ISSUES AT THE TIME OF PREFIGHT.
WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IS LISTED WITHIN THE METARS FROM VRB. CLEAR SKY, 10SM, WINDS AT 280, 7 KTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.