20120204003639A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Pipistrel VIRUS 912 · Ray, MI · February 4, 2012

Date: February 4, 2012 · 11:10 local
Place: Ray, MI
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N325MZ
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12LA149
Reported as: Pipistrel Virus 912
Reported engine: ROTAX 912
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,773 total340 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N325MZRegistration cancelled Sep 26, 2017 · Pipistrel VIRUS 912S/N 251VSW9121207 · Built 2007 Airframe modelPipistrel VIRUS 912 Engine modelRotax 912UL series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Witness' stated that aircraft was running rough during engine run-up and take-off. The engine failed at approximately 200 feet AGL. The PIC tried to make an emergency landing on a nearby golf course and while manuevering to land the right wing tip struck the ground causing the aircraft to go up on the nose and the forward fuselage support structure failed causing the engine to be pushed back into the cabin. During the accident sequence the right wing departed from the fuselage and the tail seperated just aft of the fuselage. The PIC sustained fatal injuries from the accident.

As the FAA filed it

WITNESS' STATED THAT AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING ROUGH DURING ENGINE RUN-UP AND TAKE-OFF. THE ENGINE FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL. THE PIC TRIED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A NEARBY GOLF COURSE AND WHILE MANUEVERING TO LAND THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GO UP ON THE NOSE AND THE FORWARD FUSELAGE SUPPORT STRUCTURE FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BE PUSHED BACK INTO THE CABIN. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE THE RIGHT WING DEPARTED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE TAIL SEPERATED JUST AFT OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PIC SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES FROM THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN12LA149Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportRay, MIA loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for reasons that could not be determined because the postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Feb 4, 2012 · Substantial damage