Ams Flight Carat A accident near Edgewood, New Mexico, July 16, 2008
On July 16, 2008 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Ams Flight Carat A (glider), registered N234CT, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Edgewood, New Mexico (Moriarty airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude resulting in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2008 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Edgewood, New Mexico · Moriarty · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ams Flight Carat A
- Registration
- N234CT · registry record · serial CA011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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 lift during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent defining event
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 623 hours in all; 16 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 16, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 72 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2008; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,080 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Sauer S 1800 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 7:57 pm from KABQ, 21 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DFW08LA187.