NTSB Factual Report

On July 5, 1995, about 1315 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer 1-26E glider, N603MX, struck the ground after takeoff from the Marston Mills Airport, Marston Mills, Massachusetts. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the glider was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight which was operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and had departed less than one minute before.

The FAA reported that the accident flight was the second glider flight that day for the pilot, who had flown about 20 minutes on an earlier flight. Several witnesses observed the glider which was under tow, and then pitched up, down, and then up in excess of 45 degrees, at which time the tow rope broke. The glider then entered a right turn, and then entered a right spin of about 1 1/2 turns prior to impacting the ground, next to parked airplanes. The pilot was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on the following day.

The pilot did not possess a FAA Airman Medical Certificate, nor was he required to possess one.

The glider was examined by an FAA Airworthiness Inspector who reported, "...The tail flight control surfaces have continuity between the flight control attachments and the linkage/bellcrank, under the pilot's floor boards...."

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, State of Massachusetts, a post-mortem examination of pilot did not disclose evidence of an incapacitating medical condition.

NTSB Probable Cause

failure of the pilot to maintain control of the glider while being towed during takeoff, which resulted in a pitch oscillation, failure of the tow cable, loss of airspeed, an inadvertent stall/spin, and an uncontrolled collision with the ground.