Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE accident near Moriarty, New Mexico, October 11, 2024
On October 11, 2024 at about 8:10 pm local time, a 1972 Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE (glider), registered N41FL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Moriarty, New Mexico (Moriarty Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath, which resulted in the glider landing on rough terrain short of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2024 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Moriarty, New Mexico · Moriarty Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Glasflugel STANDARD LIBELLE, built 1972 · all STANDARD LIBELLEs on the register
- Registration
- N41FL · registry record · serial 292
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the glider reported that, while on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, he partially deployed the flight spoilers and extended his downwind leg as the glider was too high. He misjudged his distance to the runway during this time and the glider lost more altitude than the pilot had anticipated. The pilot flared during final; however, the glider impacted rough terrain short of the runway threshold. The glider sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,131 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,021 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 730.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 695 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: 0E0 Moriarty NM at 7:06 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,702 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KCQC, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCQC 111953Z AUTO 31014G22KT 10SM CLR 26/M08 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP200 T02561083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 2025. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR25LA015.