Pipistrel PIPISTREL SINUS 912 N783TH

Summary

On 13 June 2020 at about 20:30 local time, a Pipistrel PIPISTREL SINUS 912 registered N783TH was involved in an accident near Brookline, New Hampshire, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 June 2020 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Brookline, New Hampshire, United States

Nearest airport

Brookline (NH16)

Coordinates

42.7417, -71.7075

Aircraft

Pipistrel PIPISTREL SINUS 912

Registration

N783TH

Category

Glider

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brookline → Brookline

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA215

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while landing with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of control and a hard landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built motor glider was landing on a 1,926-ft-long, 24-ft-wide runway with about a 6 knot quartering tailwind. During his first attempted landing the motor glider was high and fast on approach and the pilot elected to go-around. During his second attempt, the motor glider was also high and fast but the pilot elected to continue the approach to landing, using full air brakes and wing flaps. During the approach, he slowed the motor glider to 40 knots (6 knots above stall speed), and the motor glider then seemed to drop from about 10 ft above the runway and land hard. The right landing gear leg collapsed, and the motor glider veered off the right side of the runway, struck a vertical approach slope indicator, and was substantially damaged. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook revealed that the final approach speed should always be 55 knots with full flaps regardless of approaching with zero or full airbrakes. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the motor glider that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.