WPR19LA181

A pilot departed in a single-seat glider for a personal flight near mountainous terrain. The flight was uneventful until shortly after the pilot reversed course back to the destination. Shortly thereafter, the pilot made a 90° turn toward open terrain and began a descent. The descent was initially shallow but increased to about 1,000 ft per minute during the turn. After the turn was completed, the glider maintained a steady course heading. The ground speed initially increased during the descent but was noticeably decreased before the landing. A crash landing was accomplished in an open field and the glider came to rest upright in heavy vegetation and sustained minor damage. The deceased pilot was found strapped in his seat with the canopy closed and was observed to have sustained only minor external injures. Additionally, the glider’s landing gear was extended. There were no anomalies noted in recorded data from the accident flight indicating abnormal operation of the glider. Further, examination of the airframe failed to reveal any anomalies with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The medical examiner attributed the cause of death to natural causes due to a cardiac event.

On June 29, 2019, about 1511 mountain daylight time, a Rolladen-Schneider LS-4A experimental glider, sustained minor damage when it was involved in an accident near Moriarty, New Mexico. The pilot was fatally injured. The glider was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The glider was located in a field about 10 miles south of Moriarty Municipal Airport (0E0), Moriarty, New Mexico. A Torrance County Sheriff’s Deputy reported that the deceased pilot was found strapped in his seat with the canopy closed and was observed to have sustained only minor external injuries. According to the co-owner of the glider, the accident flight was planned to be a local flight. The pilot said that he would fly toward Santa Fe. However, as there were some “built ups” in that direction that the pilot was aware of, which may have caused him to change his route. He also stated the glider had no mechanical issues during previous flights and was serviced with oxygen before the accident flight. The accident glider was equipped with an onboard global positioning system (GPS) device that captured the accident flight. The data started with the glider taking off at 1941. The flight track was generally to the southwest and just east of a mountain range. At 2021, the glider momentarily reached an altitude of about 14,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The glider then descended to about 10,200 ft msl. At 2036, it climbed up to about 15,000 ft msl, having reached that altitude at 2059. At 2101, the flight track reversed course to the north back toward the destination. However, several seconds later, the glider’s flight track indicated a 90° right turn toward the east and away from mountainous terrain. A descent was also initiated at this time. The descent was initially about 200 ft per minute, but, at 2105, the rate of descent increased to about 1,000 ft per minute. The easterly course was maintained for almost 10 minutes. The groundspeed initially increased during the descent but was noticeably reduced before the data ended at 2111 near the accident location. No anomalies were revealed in the recorded data from the accident flight. The State of New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner, Albuquerque, New Mexico, conducted the autopsy on the pilot. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was attributed to natural causes caused by complications of aortic stenosis due to a bicuspid aortic valve. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing on the pilot. The pilot’s results for the testing were negative for carbon monoxide and volatiles. Testing results were positive for Amlodipine and Ranitidine. Amlodipine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure. Ranitidine is available in prescription and over the counter formulations. Ranitidine is used to treat intestinal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease and other condition where the stomach producestoo much acid. Both Amlodipine and Ranitidine are generally acceptable for use by airmen. The pilot held a private-pilot certificate with a glider rating. The pilot was issued a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate that had expired. However, no medical certificate is required for glider operations. The glider sustained minor damage to the left wing, canopy, and gear doors. A postaccident examination of the glider by a FAA inspector revealed that all major structural components and primary flight controls of the glider were intact. Flight control continuity from the cockpit to all control surfaces was confirmed. The landing gear was extended.