What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 12, 2026, about 12:45 (EDT), an I.c.a. Brasov, privacy data omitted glider was involved in an accident on the ground. The glider touched down on runway 32 at Merlin Aerodrome and procceded to the taxiway on landing rollout when it struck a bystander taking pictures. The glider was on an experience flight with two people on board. The glider struck the bystander with the left wing; he sustained critical injuries and was transported to the nearby hospital where he died 29 days after the accident. The pilot and passinger were not injured. The bystander's location was on the unmarked taxiway in front of the hangar. The aircraft substained damage to the leading edge of the left wing approximately midway down the wing, no other damage was noted. At the time of the accident, the local weather was VFR and clear.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 12, 2026, ABOUT 12:45 (EDT), AN I.C.A. BRASOV, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GLIDER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE GROUND. THE GLIDER TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 32 AT MERLIN AERODROME AND PROCCEDED TO THE TAXIWAY ON LANDING ROLLOUT WHEN IT STRUCK A BYSTANDER TAKING PICTURES. THE GLIDER WAS ON AN EXPERIENCE FLIGHT WITH TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD. THE GLIDER STRUCK THE BYSTANDER WITH THE LEFT WING; HE SUSTAINED CRITICAL INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE NEARBY HOSPITAL WHERE HE DIED 29 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND PASSINGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE BYSTANDER'S LOCATION WAS ON THE UNMARKED TAXIWAY IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY DOWN THE WING, NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE LOCAL WEATHER WAS VFR AND CLEAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.