ERA19LA260

The pilot and passenger onboard the glider could not recall the events of the accident flight due to their injuries, and there were no witnesses to the accident. The glider was found substantially damaged among trees east of the runway. The landing gear and airbrakes were found in the extended positions, and the engine and propeller were stowed. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of a mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation.

On August 24, 2019, about 1540 central daylight time, a DG-Flugzeugbau DG-500MB glider, N165MB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Robertsdale, Alabama. The private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site, the glider was found in a wooded area past the departure end of runway 9 at Elsanor Airport (1AL4), Robertsdale, Alabama. The turf runway was 2,400 ft in length. The right wing was separated from the airframe and the left wing remained attached. The empennage was separated from contact with trees. The engine and propeller were in their stowed positions inside the aft fuselage. Neither the pilot nor the passenger could recall the accident due to their injuries. There were no known witnesses to the accident. An examination of the wreckage at a recovery facility revealed continuity to all flight controls. The landing gear and airbrakes were in the extended positions. The glider was equipped with a LX7000 gliding computer and GPS navigation system; examination of the unit revealed no recorded data from the accident flight.