SYNOPSIS
The weather in the Kilkenny area was good, with unrestricted visibility and little cloud. The Pilot of EI-121, who was very experienced on both powered aircraft and gliders had earlier that afternoon flown an MS 893 RALLYE aircraft, the local Gliding Club’s towing aircraft. This was a routine towing flight. On his return, he had arranged to fly the Pilatus B4, a single seat glider, himself. Following an uneventful local area flight the Pilot returned to land at Kilkenny Airfield. Here, on base leg to Runway (RWY) 09, he was observed by witnesses as he passed the airfield boundary when, unexpectedly, the aircraft adopted a sudden nose down attitude with wings level, and continued down to impact the ground. The Pilot was found fatally injured in the cockpit by the Kilkenny Fire Services. The glider was destroyed.
