History of Flight
On July 13, 2014, at about 1330 central daylight time, a Jonker Sailplanes JS1-C glider, registration N60XJ, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Wallis, Texas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The glider was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Wallis Glideport (TE71), Wallis, Texas, at 1258.
A friend and fellow pilot reported that the preflight inspection was performed in the hangar. The glider was then moved to the runway and attached to the tow rope. The tow was observed until both aircraft were about 500 feet above ground level. The takeoff was uneventful, and the glider appeared properly positioned behind the tow plane. At approximately 1340, the friend was notified that the glider may have crashed. Two individuals reported hearing a high-pitched sound followed by an impact. The accident site was located after a brief aerial search.
Personnel Information
The accident pilot, age 67, held a private pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land airplane and glider ratings. He did not hold a current airman medical certificate; however, a medical certificate was not required for glider operations. His most recent medical certificate was issued on February 19, 2004, and expired on February 28, 2006.
The pilot maintained two logbooks: one for gliders and one for airplanes. According to logbook excerpts, he had accumulated about 1,335 hours in gliders and 2,831 hours in airplanes. This included two flights in the accident glider on June 22, 2014, totaling 1 hour and 26 minutes (his 710th and 711th glider flights). The logbook also included an entry for 1 hour of "ground cockpit checkout JS1 Revelation" on June 20, 2014. A flight review endorsement was dated October 3, 2012.
Aircraft Information
The accident glider was a 2013 Jonker Sailplanes Ltd. model JS1-C "Revelation", serial number 1C-049. It was a high-performance, single-place glider of composite construction with a 21-meter wingspan and a retractable single mid-fuselage/tailwheel landing gear.
The glider was equipped with an M&D Flugzeugbau model TJ42 jet turbine sustainer engine capable of about 40 kgf (88 lbf) of thrust. The engine was positioned at the top of the fuselage aft of the canopy, retractable and enclosed when not in use.
An experimental category special airworthiness certificate was issued on November 4, 2013, for exhibition air racing, with 0.8 hours time in service. The pilot purchased the glider on June 20, 2014. The aircraft logbook included an entry dated November 8, 2013, noting completion of FAA Program Letter Phase 1 flight time requirements, with 5.9 hours and 5 takeoffs and landings on November 7 and 8. No maintenance entries were recorded after the airworthiness certificate entry.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions recorded at Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), about 19 miles east of the accident site, at 1353 were: wind from 130 degrees at 5 knots, few clouds at 4,200 feet above ground level, 10 miles visibility, temperature 34°C, dew point 22°C, altimeter 30.07 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The glider impacted an open field about 1.5 miles east-northeast of the airport. A ground crater appeared consistent with initial impact. The wreckage was adjacent to the crater. Each wing and the fuselage emanated from the crater at approximately right angles, consistent with an intact glider orientation. The empennage had separated from the fuselage and was located adjacent to the aft fuselage.
A postaccident examination by the NTSB investigator-in-charge was conducted after recovery. The forward fuselage, including the cockpit area, was destroyed. Both wings were separated from the fuselage. The nose and cockpit were fragmented. The instrument panel separated from the airframe and was fragmented; no useful information was recovered from the instruments. The main landing gear and strut had separated from the fuselage structure. Rudder pedals remained attached to a portion of the cockpit bulkhead/floor structure and were deformed. Rudder cables were intact through the rudder pedal S-tubes.
The aft fuselage separated from aft of the cockpit and sustainer engine housing to immediately forward of the vertical stabilizer. The composite structure was split into halves along the bond line. The sustainer engine remained secured within the engine housing, but the engine housing and fuel tank had separated from the fuselage. The fuel tank was compromised and contained no fuel.
The left wing was fragmented over the entire span. The wing spar appeared intact at the inboard end, but portions of the outboard spar were delaminated. Most wing skin had separated from the spar assembly. The wing tip extension separated from the main wing structure and was located near the main wreckage. The inboard portion of the left flap remained attached to the aft, inboard section of wing structure; the flap was separated into two sections near mid-span. The outboard section had separated from the wing. The aileron was separated into two sections; the outboard section remained attached at the control rod, the inboard section had separated completely. Separations in flap and aileron control linkages appeared consistent with overstress failures. The left speed brake and its control linkage were deformed; the speed brake remained attached at the inboard end.
The right wing exhibited damage along the entire span. The spar was deformed and delaminated at the inboard end but appeared otherwise intact. Wing skin was delaminated, torn, and fragmented. The wing tip extension had separated from the main wing structure. The right flap and aileron remained partially attached; control linkage was damaged, but continuity was confirmed from the control surface to the wing root. The right speed brake remained attached; its control linkage was damaged.
The empennage had separated from the aft fuselage immediately forward of the vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer had separated from the vertical stabilizer. The left elevator was fractured near mid-span; the inboard portion remained partially attached, the outboard portion had separated. The right elevator was separated from the horizontal stabilizer and deformed. The elevator hinge fitting remained attached to the top of the vertical stabilizer. Control continuity within the vertical stabilizer/aft fuselage section was confirmed. The rudder had separated from the vertical stabilizer; the rudder bellcrank remained secured, and cables remained attached to the bellcrank.
The examination scope was limited by fragmentation due to impact damage; however, no anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction were observed.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office on July 15, 2014. The pilot's death was attributed to blunt force trauma sustained in the accident.
The FAA Civil Aerospace Medicine Institute forensic toxicology fatal accident report noted: 46 mg/dL ethanol detected in Muscle; NO ethanol detected in Liver; Atorvastatin detected in Liver; Citalopram detected in Liver and Muscle; Diphenhydramine detected in Liver; N-Desmethylcitalopram detected in Liver and Muscle; Valsartan detected in Muscle and Liver.
A friend noted that the pilot had suffered a stroke about 10 years before the accident. A review of FAA medical records revealed that he reported skin cancer (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma) on his medical certificate application in December 1999; his next application in January 2002 noted "lymphoma cutaneous only – no metastasis to other system – total remission." The most recent application (February 19, 2004) noted follow-up visits for lymphoma. There was no indication of stroke or other cardiovascular issues on that application. No subsequent medical certificate applications were on file with the FAA.
An FAA airman medical certificate was not required for glider operations (14 CFR 61.23(b)(3)). However, regulations prohibit operations with a medical condition that would make the person unable to operate the aircraft safely (14 CFR 61.53(b)).