The wreckage of a Grob G115D, a German-built, all-composite, aerobatic two-seat trainer, was spread out over an area nearly half a mile long and 400 feet wide-this despite the fact the airplane was sighted shortly before the accident by a witness on the ground who estimated its height, in level flight, as only 500 feet. The weather was good and was not considered a factor in the mishap.
Parts widely scattered along a line indicate an inflight breakup. The first items to separate from the airframe are at the beginning of the wreckage path; the fuselage and engine are usually found at the end. In this case, the first item in line was the top of the rudder. Various other pieces of empennage debris, including the stabilizer and both elevators, were found 900 feet from the main wreckage, as was a portion of the left wing and flap. Fragments of the acrylic canopy were scattered along the wreckage path, but although both pilots were wearing parachutes, there was no evidence of their having jettisoned the canopy. The lower portion of the rudder was never found.
