The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report on the Friday, July 15 glider crash that resulted in the death of a St. Mary’s County man and injuries to a Calvert County man.
The accident occurred at approximately 3:35 p.m. near St. Mary’s County Regional Airport in Hollywood.
The aircraft, a Slingsby T-49B glider, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees while maneuvering for landing. The preliminary report indicates the glider’s occupants were attempting to make an emergency landing in the median of Route 235 but missed the mark.
The NTSB report confirms that the survivor of the crash, identified by the Maryland State Police (MSP) as Nicholas John Mirales, 52 of Prince Frederick, was piloting the glider when the accident occurred. The craft’s copilot, identified by the MSP as James Michael Dayton, 55 of Mechanicsville, sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The glider pilot provided a comprehensive written statement and a brief interview following the accident,” the report stated. “According to the glider pilot/owner, the glider was purchased a week prior to the accident and he has accrued about one hour of flight experience in it. He assembled the glider and completed all post assembly checks prior to departing. The pilot and copilot then performed the before-takeoff checks outside the aircraft and confirmed the tow release operation and confirmed ‘trim and spoilers closed.’ ”
The NTSB report stated that during the craft’s initial climb, “the glider pilot noticed the glider ‘wasn’t climbing.’ About 100 feet above ground level and over the trees beyond the departure of the runway, the glider pilot observed the tow plane rudder ‘waggle’ back and forth, and his copilot shouted ‘release, release, release!’ the glider pilot pulled the release handle, released the glider from the tow and entered a left turn to the north for a forced landing on the north/south divided highway east of the airport. The glider overshot the highway and collided with trees on the east side of the roadway.”
The NTSB report stated the pilot of the plane towing the glider provided a similar account of the events leading up to the tragedy. “He observed the glider spoilers were at least partially deployed above and below each wing and rapidly ‘wagged the rudder,’ to alert the glider pilot to ‘check his spoilers.’ At that moment, the glider released from the tow, banked to the north and struck trees adjacent to the highway.”
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