Accident Details
On July 16, 2008, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, an AMS Flight Carat A glider, registration N234CT, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering for an emergency landing near Edgewood, New Mexico. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and registered co-owner, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed from Moriarty Airport (0E0) in Moriarty, New Mexico, around 1330.
The accident flight was the pilot's second flight of the day. The motorized glider had self-launched to the soaring area west of Moriarty and had been soaring for approximately half an hour when the lift disappeared and the glider entered an area with significant sink. The pilot reported being unable to restart the engine and began planning for an off-field emergency landing, noting that the available landing area was marginal and littered with six- to ten-foot-tall juniper trees.
Witness and Rescue
A witness approximately 150 yards from the impact location observed the glider heading northeast at an estimated altitude of 150 feet above ground. She reported that the glider suddenly "nose-dived" into the ground. Emergency rescue crews arrived on scene within 15 minutes after the crash.
Aircraft Examination
Responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors reported that the glider struck the ground next to a small juniper tree in a near perpendicular attitude. It came to rest upright, facing opposite to the direction of travel described by the witness, and remained mostly intact. The canopy had separated from the aircraft, and the tail was broken but not completely detached. The "beak" propeller was found with both blades driven tip-first straight into the ground. The spoilers and landing gear were extended, and the landing gear switch was found in the down position. An oxygen nasal cannula was connected, but the oxygen system's automatic function did not appear to be on. The fuel tank had ruptured, although an odor of fuel was detected by the inspector several hours after the crash. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces, and no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation.
Spoiler Characteristics
According to another pilot familiar with the accident glider, the spoilers can be locked in an extended position, and landings are typically performed with the spoilers extended one to one and a half inches. However, if the spoilers are extended abruptly to the full extended position, the aircraft severely pitches nose down.