MDM-1 Fox spins into the ground during a stalled loop recovery

Both occupants were killed and the MDM-1 Fox destroyed on an aerobatics training flight near Chermignac. Released from tow at about 1,400 m, the pilot flew a slow pass down the runway line, two stall turns, and a first loop that ovalled out at the top before starting a second at about 260 m. About a third of the way round, the glider stalled inverted; pulling out of that, it departed asymmetrically into a spin. A witness saw two turns before losing sight of it behind trees; it then struck the ground nose-down, still rotating. No pre-existing defect was found, and neither pilot's post-mortem toxicology explained the accident.

1. Aerobatics course near Chermignac: On the fourth flight of an advanced-aerobatics course, the pilot released from tow at about 1,400 m with his instructor aboard - his first course flight on the MDM-1 Fox, not the usual DG1000.
2. Stall turns and an ovalled first loop: He flew a slow pass down the runway line, two stall turns, and a first loop that ovalled out near the top, which a witness put down to insufficient entry speed.
3. Second loop entered at 260 m AGL: A second loop was begun at about 260 m AGL. About a third of the way round it, the glider stalled inverted.
4. Asymmetric departure on the recovery: Recovering from the stall, the glider stalled again sharply and asymmetrically, and spun. The inquiry could not determine why neither occupant arrested it.
5. Two turns, then lost from view: A witness saw two turns of the spin before losing sight of the glider behind trees. It struck the ground nose-down, still rotating; both occupants were killed and the glider destroyed.