Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude resulting in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
NTSB analysis
The motor glider had been soaring for approximately one-half hour when lift disappeared and it began to get into an area of significant sink. The private pilot was unable to restart the engine and attempted an emergency landing in rocky, hilly terrain. A witness saw the glider suddenly pitch down and "nose dive" into the ground from an altitude of approximately 150 feet AGL . An examination of the glider wreckage revealed damage consistent with a nose-low, nearly vertical impact.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for DFW08LA187 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 16, 2008
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Edgewood, New Mexico
- Nearest airport
- Moriarty (0E0)
- Highest injury
- Serious
- Serious injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Ams Flight Carat A
- N-number
- N234CT
- Category
- Glider
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.