Saturday Afternoon Mishap Claims Pilot's Life

A preliminary investigation into the fatal crash of a glider near Sylacauga, AL this weekend indicates the aircraft's detachable wings folded up inflight, leading to the accident that claimed the life of pilot Robert Wallace, 65.

The Sylacauga Daily Home reports investigators with the FAA and NTSB were on the scene Sunday, one day after Wallace's SZD 36A glider (shown above) impacted a rock quarry shortly after being towed into the air from Merkel Field. The pilot was the only person onboard.

NTSB Investigator Butch Wilson states there is no known issue with the 36A's detachable wings, so long as they are mounted properly to the fuselage prior to flight.

"(The wings) folded straight up and then separated," Wilson said. "We don’t know why they folded."

Witnesses at the quarry told authorities they saw the glider break apart as it headed towards them, Talledega County Deputy Coroner Shaddix Murphy told the paper.

Talladega County Deputy Coroner Shaddix Murphy said witnesses at the quarry told officials they saw the glider heading toward the quarry and then breaking apart as it approached.

Wallace was a member of the Sylacauga Soaring Society, based at Merkel. The club lists Wallace as holding a club altitude record of 9,100' MSL, set in March 2006.

Report created 4/3/2007   Record 1
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6SZ        Make/Model: GLID      Description: SZD 36A GLIDER
  Date: 03/30/2007     Time: 2158

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SYLACAUGA   State: AL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT BROKE APART AND CRASHED INTO A ROCK QUARRY, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD
  WAS FATALLY INJURED, SYLACAUGA, AL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: BIRMINGHAM, AL  (SO09)                Entry date: 04/02/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.sylacaugasoaring.com