A Victorian glider pilot has died while competing in the national championships when his aircraft went into a tailspin and crashed at "full speed" near the Queensland-NSW border.
The ferocity of Monday's crash at Goondiwindi just before 1.30pm, was such that the first person on the scene had trouble finding the wreckage.
The pilot, believed to be a 75-year-old man, was treated for injuries but died at the scene.
He's third person in three weeks to die in gliding crashes on Queensland's Darling Downs region.
NSW police are investigating the crash.
Gliding Federation of Australia vice-president Lindsay Mitchell told AAP the man was a "very experienced pilot" who was competing in the 37th National Gliding Championships, which may now be abandoned.
McIntyre Aero Club captain Ian Greenland said the man, who is yet to be identified, was likely from out of town as there were no locals taking part in the event.
Mr Greenland said he was listening to the two-way radio when the mayday call went out.
He said a tug was pulling another glider up into the air about 1.5km south of Goondiwindi Airport when the pilot saw the aircraft in trouble.
"It was spinning towards the ground," he told AAP.
Mr Greenland said he was first on the scene after the tug pilot was able to relay to him exactly where the glider went down.
"I had trouble actually finding the wreckage because the only thing left was a tail hanging out of the grass," he said.
Mr Greenland said he went to see if there was "some possibility" the pilot was still alive but he quickly realised the impact was too severe.
"It went full speed into the ground and there was nothing that could be done," he said.
The rest of the national titles, which started on Sunday and is scheduled to continue until October 19, is in serious doubt.
The fatality comes soon after instructor Jeremy Thompson, 62, and student Norbert Gross, 60, died when their glider crashed into a paddock at Bowenville, west of Toowoomba.
Mr Greenland said two of the other first responders at Monday's crash had been on the scene at the other incident.
"They're not doing very well," he said.
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