Rolladen Schneider LS4 accident near Moriarty, New Mexico, June 29, 2019
On June 29, 2019 at about 9:11 pm local time, a 1981 Rolladen Schneider LS4 (glider), registered N7LR, suffered minor damage in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Moriarty, New Mexico (Moriarty Muni 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
An in-flight cardiac event which necessitated an emergency landing, and which the pilot succumbed to.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2019 · about 9:11 pm local time
- Place
- Moriarty, New Mexico · Moriarty Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rolladen Schneider LS4 A, built 1981
- Registration
- N7LR · registry record · serial 4087
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot departed in a single-seat glider for a personal flight near mountainous terrain. The flight was uneventful until shortly after the pilot reversed course back to the destination. Shortly thereafter, the pilot made a 90° turn toward open terrain and began a descent. The descent was initially shallow but increased to about 1,000 ft per minute during the turn. After the turn was completed, the glider maintained a steady course heading. The ground speed initially increased during the descent but was noticeably decreased before the landing. A crash landing was accomplished in an open field and the glider came to rest upright in heavy vegetation and sustained minor damage. The deceased pilot was found strapped in his seat with the canopy closed and was observed to have sustained only minor external injures. Additionally, the glider’s landing gear was extended. There were no anomalies noted in recorded data from the accident flight indicating abnormal operation of the glider. Further, examination of the airframe failed to reveal any anomalies with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The medical examiner attributed the cause of death to natural causes due to a cardiac event.
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
- Medical event during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Medical event during enroute (descent)
- Medical event during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 50 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 7:40 pm
- Destination: 0E0 Moriarty NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from 0E0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 24, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Global Positioning System - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Email (NTSB Duty Officer) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N7LR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.