European glider pilots found in wreckage

European glider pilots found in wreckage

May 29, 2001

SUNSPOT, N.M. (AP) — The bodies of two European glider pilots who crashed shortly after takeoff from Alamogordo bound for Colorado were found Sunday in the wreckage of their motorized plane, state police said.

The dead were identified as Gilbert Gerbaud, 49, of France and Edy Naef, 58, of Switzerland, Maj. Forrest Smith reported.

Their home towns weren’t known.

The men were found just west of Sunspot, in the Sacramento Mountains, 24 miles east of Alamogordo with the wreckage of their motorized glider, Smith said.

The wreckage was spotted by a U.S. Customs Service plane that had been called in to assist in the search.

"We sent in a search and rescue team that located the two men in the wreckage," based on the location provided by the Customs plane, Smith said.

The crash occurred in Dog Canyon just west of the National Solar Observatory at Sunspot, he said.

Asked what caused the crash, he said: "No idea at this point."

He estimated the crash occurred "probably a couple of days ago, probably shortly after they took off."

The plane reportedly took off Thursday from Alamogordo bound for Fort Garland, Colo. The men were reported to be training for a glider competition.

About 20 state police volunteers searched the ground around Cloudcroft on Sunday, state police rescue coordinator Rick Goodman said.

The plane did not have an emergency locator transmitter, or ELT, Smith said.