Jonker Sailplanes JS1C accident near Cotulla, Texas, August 7, 2019
On August 7, 2019 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2014 Jonker Sailplanes JS1C (glider), registered N213DT, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Cotulla, Texas. 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 failure to maintain sufficient airspeed of the glider, which resulted in exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2019 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cotulla, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Jonker Sailplanes JS1C, built 2014 · all JS1Cs on the register
- Registration
- N213DT · no longer on the register · serial 1C-066
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was participating in a glider soaring competition and did not return from the flight. The wreckage of the glider was found about 7 miles from one of the turn points used during the competition. A ground impact scar was found beneath the glider's left wing and a few feet aft of the right wing. The glider's aft fuselage was fractured with the tail bent upward and to the left. The ground scar and fuselage damage are consistent with the glider impacting terrain in a near vertical attitude with rotation to the left at impact. Examination of the glider and its control system did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Although the glider was equipped with a turbine sustainer engine, it was found retracted, which indicates that it was not in use at the time of the accident. The toxicological tests performed on the pilot’s remains were positive for ethanol, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and carboxy-delta-9-THC (THC-COOH). The ethanol was likely the result of putrefaction. While the psychoactive effects may last a few hours, THC can be detected in the body for days or weeks. Thus, test results do not necessarily reflect recent use and cannot be used to prove that the user was under the influence of the drug at the time of testing. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain sufficient airspeed of the glider, which resulted in exceedance of the glider's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/spin.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: UVA Uvalde TX at 6:30 pm
- Destination: UVA Uvalde TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from COT, 7 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.