No fatalities

16 Oct 2011: PIPISTREL SINUS 912 — Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis, IN, United States

On 16 Oct 2011, a PIPISTREL SINUS 912 was involved in an aviation accident near Indianapolis, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the motor-glider while landing in gusty wind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A motor-glider experienced a ground loop and nosed over after encountering wind gusts during landing flare, resulting in substantial fuselage damage. The pilot reported no mechanical issues.

Incident Overview

A motor-glider sustained substantial damage to its fuselage during a landing incident at an airport. The pilot reported that while flaring for landing, a wind gust caused the aircraft to become misaligned with the runway by approximately 15 degrees. The pilot considered initiating a go-around but decided that landing in the grass alongside the runway was the safest option.

Sequence of Events

As the motor-glider descended onto the grass, another wind gust affected the right wing, causing the aircraft to ground loop. The ground loop subsequently led to the motor-glider nosing over. The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures occurred during the flight or landing.

Weather Conditions

A weather reporting station located near the airport recorded wind conditions at the time of the incident. The wind was from a direction aligned with the runway, with a speed of 15 knots and gusts reaching 25 knots.

Aircraft Damage

The fuselage of the motor-glider received substantial damage as a result of nosing over after the ground loop. The extent of damage to other components was not reported.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Response/compensation