Jonker Sailplanes (PTY) LTD JS1-C accident near Wallis, Texas, July 13, 2014
On July 13, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2013 Jonker Sailplanes (PTY) LTD JS1-C (glider), registered N60XJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wallis, Texas (Wallis Glideport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of glider control and its subsequent impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined due to a lack of available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wallis, Texas · Wallis Glideport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jonker Sailplanes (PTY) LTD JS1-C, built 2013
- Registration
- N60XJ · no longer on the register · serial 1C-049
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes after takeoff, witnesses informed pilots at the departure airport that they heard a high-pitched sound followed by the sound of an impact. The glider was subsequently located in an open field about 1 1/2 miles from the airport. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. A postaccident examination of the glider did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. Local weather conditions about the time of the accident were favorable for a glider flight. The pilot did not hold a current Federal Aviation Administration airman medical certificate nor was one required for glider operations. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot had suffered a stroke about 10 years before the accident. Further, toxicological testing detected several medications commonly used to treat conditions that could be impairing as well as two medications that might also cause impairment. However, the available information was insufficient to determine whether the pilot was impaired by a medical condition or the use of a medication at the time of the accident. In addition, although ethanol was detected in the pilot's liver, it was likely produced postmortem.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Use of medication/drugs › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Health/Fitness › Predisposing condition › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,166 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 4, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,584 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: M&D Flugzeugbau TJ-42 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TE71 Wallis TX at 5:58 pm
- Destination: TE71 Wallis TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from SGR, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.