WFAA-TV

After the crash, more than two dozen people gathered at the TSA facility near Midlothian.

ELLIS COUNTY — A manned glider crashed in a wooded area two miles southeast of the Texas Soaring Association airport in Ellis County Wednesday afternoon, killing the pilot.

Witnesses said they saw the unpowered sailplane dive straight into the ground, gathering speed leading up to impact.

The 27-year-old Ventus A model manufactured by Schempp-hirth K G broke apart in the crash, a few miles south of Midlothian.

More than two dozen people could be seen gathering in a circle on the nearby TSA runway, apparently offering prayers for the dead pilot.

According to its Web site, two contests sanctioned by the Soaring Society of America are taking place at the TSA's Midlothian facility this week. It was not immediately clear whether the aircraft involved in Wednesday's fatal accident was connected with those activities.

Published specifications of the Ventus A sailplane list it as having a wingspan of about 49 feet, weighing 518 pounds empty. Its fuselage is made of fiberglass with carbon fiber wings.