Accident Details
On June 28, 2008, at 0955 eastern daylight time, an APIS-M motor glider, registration N1870R, crashed into wooded terrain while turning onto final approach. The accident occurred under visual meteorological conditions, with clear skies and calm winds reported by a witness. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight.
The witness, who observed the flight, stated that the glider departed to the north and entered the downwind leg. The downwind entry, base turn, and final approach turn appeared normal. While on short final at approximately 300 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot deployed the wing spoilers and began a left turn. The witness lost sight of the glider as it descended below the tree line and was unable to access the wooded area where it went down. Emergency responders arrived shortly thereafter.
Examination of the crash site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed the glider was located 2,000 feet short of runway 36. The inspection found that the glider's motor was stowed at the time of the accident and no flight control anomalies were present.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The single-seat, low-wing motor glider was manufactured in 2006. Its maintenance logbooks were not recovered for review.
The pilot, age 66, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, last updated on April 28, 2003. He also held an expired third-class medical certificate issued on October 23, 1991. The pilot's logbooks were not recovered.
Investigation
An autopsy conducted on June 29, 2008, by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner in Poughkeepsie, New York, listed the cause of death as "multiple injuries." Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no ethanol in the liver or muscle and no drugs in the liver.