MDM-1 Fox stays in a flat spin after a snap entry on the first aerobatic figure

The passenger was killed and the pilot seriously injured when the pilot could not recover a spin flown as the first aerobatic figure. It was an aerobatic passenger ride at a flying-sports event, the pilot's eighth passenger flight that day. After release the pilot entered the spin to the left in a very dynamic, snapped form; the nose stayed flat and the rotation would not stop. The pilot told the passenger to get out and left the glider at about 1000 metres above ground, landing by parachute. The glider then came out of the spin on its own and mushed down. The passenger could not get out and fell from the glider just before impact.

1. Aerobatic passenger rides at an event: Aerobatic rides were being sold at an authorised flying-sports event. The passenger had never flown aerobatics before and was fitted with a parachute at the glider.
2. Eighth flight of the day: This was the pilot's eighth flight that day, after six aerobatic flights and a 56-minute glider flight, all with passengers. The turnaround from the previous landing was 28 minutes.
3. 22 hours on the type: The pilot held about 920 flying hours in all, but 22 on the MDM-1 Fox over 69 flights, including the training and familiarisation flights on it.
4. Snapped entry into a left spin: After release the first figure was a spin to the left, entered in a very dynamic, snapped form. The nose stayed flat towards the horizon and the rotation rate was high.
5. Spin could not be recovered: The pilot could not stop the rotation. At about 1000 metres above ground the pilot told the passenger to get out and left the glider by parachute.
6. Passenger did not get out in time: The glider came out of the spin on its own and mushed down. The passenger fell from it only as it dropped a wing over the treetops and was killed on a concrete drainage channel.