History of Flight
On August 7, 2016, about 1216 Pacific daylight time, an experimental AMS Flight D O O Carat A motor glider, N11DY, impacted terrain about 7 nautical miles northeast of Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV), Minden, Nevada. The private pilot, who was also the registered owner and operator, was fatally injured. The glider was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot departed MEV at 1204 from runway 34. Recorded communications on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) captured a transmission at 1204 stating a right turn out after takeoff. About 6 minutes later, the pilot reported being 4 miles east of MEV climbing through 6,500 ft, indicating it was his last call on that frequency. No further transmissions were received.
Data from an onboard GPS receiver showed a departure from runway 34 at 1204 with a right turn eastbound. The glider climbed eastward for about 4 minutes. Around 1211, it turned north-northeast and performed a series of right 360° climbing turns between approximately 7,300 ft and 8,500 ft GPS altitude, consistent with thermal soaring. By about 1216, the glider was on a southerly heading and continued until the last data point at 1217:18, just south of the accident site. The final GPS point at 1217:03 showed the glider at 7,841 ft nearly coincident with the crash location. The GPS manufacturer noted that up to about 1 minute of data could be lost from volatile memory in the event of abrupt power loss.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and glider. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in March 2002 with a limitation requiring glasses for near vision; glider operations do not require a medical certificate. A review of his logbook indicated about 333 total flight hours, of which about 152 were in the accident glider. His most recent flight review was completed on September 22, 2015. The pilot had recently moved to Nevada and had about 10 hours of experience operating in the Minden area.
Aircraft Information
The single-seat, self-launching glider was of composite construction, manufactured in 2003, and registered to the pilot in January 2011. It was equipped with a Sauer S 1800-1-ES1C 4-cylinder, 54-horsepower engine, an AMS Flight forward-folding propeller, and retractable main landing gear. The most recent condition inspection was completed on December 20, 2015, at a total aircraft time of 456.3 hours. An entry on August 3, 2016, indicated the glider had accumulated 475 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
The 1230 automated weather observation at MEV reported wind from 030° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 25°C, dew point -5°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury. Density altitude was about 7,300 ft mean sea level. An atmospheric sounding from a weather balloon launched near Reno, Nevada, about 30 nautical miles north of MEV, around 1600 showed a dry atmosphere with temperature steadily decreasing below 15,000 ft and no temperature inversions. Weather radar indicated no pertinent reflectivity in the area.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on a rocky hillside at an elevation of about 6,050 ft msl, approximately 7 nautical miles east-northeast of MEV. The glider came to rest near powerlines, but there was no evidence it contacted the lines before impact. All major components were accounted for. Fuel odor and spillage were present.
The fuselage shell was fractured in several locations, including the cockpit area and aft. Both wings remained attached at their roots without aft crushing damage, but each had multiple spanwise fractures. The right aileron remained attached; the left aileron was collocated but separated. The aft fuselage separated from the airframe, and the empennage separated near the vertical stabilizer root. The rudder remained attached. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were partially separated; the right elevator was separated from the horizontal stabilizer, and the horizontal stabilizer separated from the vertical stabilizer. The magneto and fuel pump switches were found in the "off" position. Flight control continuity was established through breaks in control rods. The landing gear was retracted. The left wing air brake was stowed; the right wing air brake fairing was separated, and the brake partially extended. The engine was partially separated from its mounts; the cowling was fractured. The propeller was stowed, with one blade intact and the other separated near the hub. Engine rotation by hand at the propeller flange established compression on all four cylinders. Top spark plugs showed normal wear.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office listed the cause of death as multiple injuries due to blunt force trauma. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory conducted toxicology tests on pilot specimens, which were negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Diltiazem, a prescription calcium channel blocker primarily used for high blood pressure, was detected in urine and aortic blood. The use of this medication generally does not present a significant hazard for airmen.