# Incident 20160520004749I: Pipistrel VIRUS 912, Bells Beach, WA, May 20, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 20, 2016, 15:45 local time
- Place: Bells Beach, WA
- Airport: N/A
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.0768° N, 122.4690° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bells Beach, WA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.0768&lon=-122.4690&mi=10
- Aircraft: N937R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N937R-2019-11-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Pipistrel VIRUS 912 (registry code 05617ML, https://openairdocs.org/model/pipistrel-virus-912) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPISTREL VIRUS 912
- Reported engine: ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160520004749I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT PERFORMED AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, VERIFYING SUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD AIRCRAFT FOR SHORT 20 MINUTE LOCAL FLIGHT.  AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM KOKH, LEVELING OFF AT 1000 FEET.

ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE RPM SUDDENLY DROPPED TO A SLOW IDLE FOR ABOUT 20 SECOND, AND MOVING THE THROTTLE HAD NO EFFECT. THE ENGINE NEVER SURGED OR SPUTTERED BEFORE FAILURE.

AT 500 FEET, ATTEMPTED ENGINE RESTARTS FAILED. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE BEACH AND LANDED IN APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET OF WATER. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE (PROPELLER STRIKE, LANDING GEAR DAMAGE). NTSB DETERMINED NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT BY REVIEWING PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL SHERIFF?S OFFICE.

THE PILOT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. AIRCRAFT CONTAMINATED WITH SALT WATER AFTER TIDE CAME IN BEFORE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.