History of Flight
On October 11, 2015, at an undetermined time, an experimental Woodstock I glider, N21468, impacted terrain near the Decatur Municipal Airport (KLUD), Decatur, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured and the glider was substantially damaged. The glider was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from KLUD about 1430.
According to a member of a local glider flying club, the pilot was towed by an airplane about 1430. Another club member observed the glider maneuvering between 3,000 and 4,000 feet mean sea level several miles from the airport between 1430 and 1500. At sunset, the pilot was unaccounted for, and the club reported the glider missing. The wreckage was found about 2030 near the approach end of runway 17. There were no known witnesses to the accident.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 70, held a private pilot certificate with a glider rating and a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine and instrument airplane, which expired May 31, 1992. On May 6, 2008, he received a second-class special issuance medical certificate. On his application, he reported 1,030 hours of total time with 0 hours logged in the preceding six months. His logbooks were not recovered during the investigation, and his current total time is not known.
Aircraft Information
The glider was a single-seat, amateur-built Maupin Woodstock I, built in 1999. It operated under a special airworthiness certificate as an amateur-built aircraft. The pilot purchased the glider in July 2005. The glider's logbooks were not recovered, and its history could not be determined.
Meteorological Information
A review of meteorological information found winds primarily out of the south from departure until civil twilight. An automated weather reporting facility at the airport reported the following winds:
- 1535 local: 210° at 13 knots, gusting to 21 knots
- 1615: 180° at 14 knots, gusting to 18 knots
- 1635: 180° at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots
- 1655: 190° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots
- 1715: 200° at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots
- 1735: 190° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots
- 1755: 190° at 12 knots
- 1816: 200° at 9 knots
- 1855: 180° at 8 knots
- 1915: 170° at 6 knots
- 1935: 160° at 7 knots
Civil twilight began at 1926. The glider was not equipped with lighting required for night operations.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards District Office responded to the accident site. The main wreckage consisted of the entire glider, with a single impact crater on which the wreckage rested. It came to rest facing a northerly heading. The nose and belly portions of the fuselage were shattered. Both wing leading edges showed minor damage. A wingtip counterweight was found at least 50 feet from the accident site. The elevator trim was set to an unmeasured nose-up position. An examination of the glider found no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Communications
The tow pilot informed FAA inspectors that the pilot did not have a radio on board his glider during the tow.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, Dallas, Texas, as authorized by the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Wise County, Texas. The cause of death was blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
Forensic toxicology was performed by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tests were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. The following substances were detected:
- Atorvastatin in Liver
- Atorvastatin in Blood (Cavity)
- Metoprolol in Liver
- Metoprolol in Blood (Femoral)
Atorvastatin is a prescription medication used to reduce high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Metoprolol is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure and prevent angina and heart failure. The pilot reported the use of both medications to the FAA. He received a special issuance second-class medical that had since expired. A valid medical certificate is not required to pilot a glider.