What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 28, 2017, about 1630 eastern standard time, a Pipistrel doo ajdovscina Virus Sw
Airplane, N4JW, impacted terrain during a forced landing on a road following an inflight loss of
Engine power near Paulding, Ohio. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was uninjured. The
Airplane sustained substantial wing damage when it exited the road and impacted vegetation
And rough terrain. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 code of
Federal regulations part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in
The area about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The
Local flight originated from a private airport near Paulding, Ohio.
According to an initial statement from the pilot, he was conducting slow flight about 80 KTS
When the engine began to lose power. He switched ignition systems and engine performance
Did not improve. The pilot switched fuel tanks and no improvement in engine performance was
Noted. Changing power appeared to improve engine operation. However, engine performance
Got worse again. The pilot tried to reach a private airstrip about 3 miles east of his location. He
Was not able to reach the airstrip, given the local wind and airplane altitude, so he selected a
Nearby road for a forced landing. The road was ice covered and provided very little braking.
During rollout, the pilot was concerned about approaching railroad crossing signs and a tall
Bush. The airplane's left wing impacted the bush just before the airplane crossed the railroad.
The airplane subsequently swerved to the left and the nose wheel broke off when the airplane
Impacted the ditch on the northwest side of the railroad. The airplane stopped on the north
Side of the railroad about 30 ft off the road.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 28, 2017, ABOUT 1630 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPISTREL DOO AJDOVSCINA VIRUS SW
AIRPLANE, N4JW, IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD FOLLOWING AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF
ENGINE POWER NEAR PAULDING, OHIO. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS UNINJURED. THE
AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL WING DAMAGE WHEN IT EXITED THE ROAD AND IMPACTED VEGETATION
AND ROUGH TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CODE OF
FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN
THE AREA ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND THE FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATED ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE
LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRPORT NEAR PAULDING, OHIO.
ACCORDING TO AN INITIAL STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT, HE WAS CONDUCTING SLOW FLIGHT ABOUT 80 KTS
WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. HE SWITCHED IGNITION SYSTEMS AND ENGINE PERFORMANCE
DID NOT IMPROVE. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND NO IMPROVEMENT IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE WAS
NOTED. CHANGING POWER APPEARED TO IMPROVE ENGINE OPERATION. HOWEVER, ENGINE PERFORMANCE
GOT WORSE AGAIN. THE PILOT TRIED TO REACH A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP ABOUT 3 MILES EAST OF HIS LOCATION. HE
WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH THE AIRSTRIP, GIVEN THE LOCAL WIND AND AIRPLANE ALTITUDE, SO HE SELECTED A
NEARBY ROAD FOR A FORCED LANDING. THE ROAD WAS ICE COVERED AND PROVIDED VERY LITTLE BRAKING.
DURING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT APPROACHING RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNS AND A TALL
BUSH. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING IMPACTED THE BUSH JUST BEFORE THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE RAILROAD.
THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF WHEN THE AIRPLANE
IMPACTED THE DITCH ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE RAILROAD. THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ON THE NORTH
SIDE OF THE RAILROAD ABOUT 30 FT OFF THE ROAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.