Pilot Debrief

JONKER SAILPLANES (PTY) LTD JS1-C near Wallis, TX — 2014-07-13

Final reportCEN14LA372
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Date
2014-07-13
Location
Wallis, TX, USA
Airport
TE71
Aircraft
JONKER SAILPLANES (PTY) LTD JS1-C
Registration
N60XJ
Category
Glider
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of glider control and its subsequent impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined due to a lack of available information.

NTSB narrative

About 30 minutes after takeoff, witnesses informed pilots at the departure airport that they heard a high-pitched sound followed by the sound of an impact. The glider was subsequently located in an open field about 1 1/2 miles from the airport. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. A postaccident examination of the glider did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Local weather conditions about the time of the accident were favorable for a glider flight. The pilot did not hold a current Federal Aviation Administration airman medical certificate nor was one required for glider operations. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had suffered a stroke about 10 years before the accident. Further, toxicological testing detected several medications commonly used to treat conditions that could be impairing as well as two medications that might also cause impairment. However, the available information was insufficient to determine whether the pilot was impaired by a medical condition or the use of a medication at the time of the accident. In addition, although ethanol was detected in the pilot's liver, it was likely produced postmortem.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot's medical condition and lack of current medical certificate should have been addressed.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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