CEN21LA396

The student pilot was departing in the motorglider when the accident occurred. A witness stated that the glider used about 3/4 of the 2,580-ft-long runway to become airborne. As the glider climbed, it entered an aerodynamic stall and spin, and subsequently impacted terrain. Security camera footage showed the glider impact the ground in a near-vertical, nose-low attitude in a counterclockwise spin. The glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. An examination of the glider did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The glider’s maintenance history could not be determined. The glider had been deregistered about 8 years before the accident. The student pilot’s logbook was not located, and neither his total flight experience nor experience in the accident glider could be determined. Although the circumstances of the accident are consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on the available information.

A review of FAA records revealed that the glider was deregistered in 2013. The glider was never issued an FAA airworthiness certificate. Maintenance records were not located. On September 6, 2021, about 1025 central daylight time, a Monnett Moni motorglider, N983JV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector spoke to a witness who observed the accident. The witness reported that the glider used about 3/4 of the 2,580-ft-long runway surface for the takeoff roll. As the glider climbed, it appeared to enter a stall and left-turning spin. The witness reported that the engine sounded like it was producing power before impact. A surveillance camera recorded the impact sequence and showed the glider in a near-vertical, nose-low attitude with a counter-clockwise rotation. The pilot succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital. An autopsy was conducted on the pilot by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The autopsy listed the cause of death as a result of multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was ruled an accident. Toxicology was conducted on samples from the pilot. Testing was positive for etomidate, which is an intravenous short-acting barbiturate used for general anesthesia. The etomidate was most likely administered as part of acute medical care provided after the accident. The pilot held a student pilot certificate, which was issued in March 2020. In October 2004, the pilot had applied for a third-class medical certificate, at which time he reported 10 total hours of flight experience. The pilot’s logbook was not located. The pilot’s father did not have any knowledge of the pilot’s flight experience or flight training. The pilot’s total flight experience and experience in the accident glider make and model could not be determined. The glider impacted an asphalt parking lot in a near vertical, nose-low attitude about 290 yards from the departure end of runway 17. The initial impact point consisted of wood splinters and a part of the engine cowling. The main wreckage was located about 22 ft east of the impact point. The wreckage came to rest upright facing west. Visual examination of the airframe and engine by the responding FAA inspector did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.