LS7 in-flight cardiac event; impaired flight path into field

A senior instructor was fatally stricken by an in-flight cardiac event during a cross-country from Talgarth, the LS7 striking a field after an erratic low descent; aircraft destroyed. On a task toward Snowdonia in challenging conditions — ~37 km/h N wind aloft, lee turbulence, weak thermals — the glider failed to climb above a Manod Mawr quarry four hours in. Below ~300 m AGL the track turned erratic — gear down, airbrakes part-out, sharp low turns toward rising ground rather than a field — to a final ~60 m AGL and a slight nose-down, ~10° left-bank impact. A post-mortem found the cardiac event caused incapacitation before impact.

1. Cross-country cruise: After aerotow from Talgarth, the pilot flew a cross-country task north over Long Mynd, Denbigh and southern Snowdonia, reaching the Manod Mawr area after about 4 hours.
2. Challenging conditions: Northerly winds of about 37 km/h aloft produced lee turbulence and locally weakened thermals, with cloud base around 1,200 m and only weak lee wave activity, no strong downdraughts.
3. Low operating height: Near Manod Mawr the glider soared above a south-facing quarry slope for about 8 minutes between ~670 m and ~520 m amsl, later descending into the valley at ~215–260 m AGL.
4. In-flight cardiac event: The pilot suffered an in-flight cardiac event, an acute coronary artery blockage found at autopsy, which likely caused unconsciousness or sudden death before ground impact.
5. Impaired flight path: The flight path then became erratic: a failed climb above the quarry, a low right orbit near 215 m AGL, a southwest descent at about 85 m/min, then sharp turns toward rising terrain.
6. Unstabilised low approach: Landing gear extended; airbrake selector found out of the gate and slightly aft (partly deployed). Multiple sharp turns at low altitude before impact, suggesting significant impairment.
7. Field impact - fatal: The glider struck a grazing field about 5.5 km south of Blaenau Ffestiniog in a slight nose-down, 10° left-bank attitude, damaging the left wing; the pilot was fatally injured.