| Crash location | 34.741666°N, 86.456667°W |
| Nearest city | Brownsboro, AL
34.749257°N, 86.443044°W 0.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N300HX |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 16 Oct 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Elan/Glaser Dirks DG-300 |
| Additional details: | None |
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On October 16, 2005, at 1530 central daylight time, a Élan/Glaser Dirks, DG-300 experimental racing glider, N300HX, registered and operated by an private pilot, collided with an embankment during an approach at Moon Town Airport, Brownsboro, Alabama. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The glider sustained substantial damage and the pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed Moon town Airport, Brownsboro, Alabama on October 16, 2005 at 1500.
According to a witness, the pilot of the glider was making an approach to runway 27 when he appeared to misjudge the distance and collided with an embankment 300-feet short of the runway. Post accident examination of the accident site revealed the glider slid over a road and came to rest on the other side of the road. The fuselage of the glider buckled. The pilot of the glider did not report any mechanical problems prior to the accident.
PILOT INFORMATION
Review of pilot records reveal the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate on June 15, 2000, with ratings for glider-private pilot. Review of records revealed that the pilot did not have a medical certificate.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
Post accident examination of the accident site revealed the glider was located 300-feet from the approach end of the landing strip. The landing gear assembly, flight control rod structure, and bell crank assemblies were damaged. Control rod continuity was established to the ailerons, elevators, elevator trim, rudder, and spoilers. The post-accident examination of the wreckage failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction of component failure.
PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The postmortem examination of the pilot was conducted on October 24, 2005. The reported cause of death was blunt force trauma. The toxicology specimens from the pilot were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol.
The pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude on final approach which resulted in an undershoot of the runway, and an in-flight collision with a embankment. A factor was the dirt bank/rising terrain.