# Accident 20171228023859A: Pipistrel D.O.O. Slovenia VIRUS SW, Paulding, OH, December 28, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 28, 2017, 16:37 local time
- Place: Paulding, OH
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.1889° N, 84.7081° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1889&lon=-84.7081&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4JW (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPISTREL D.O.O. SLOVENIA VIRUS SW
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN18LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA064) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171228023859A

## Narrative

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

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN18LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA064), Dec 28, 2017: Pipistrel Doo Ajdovscina Virus SW (N4JW), Paulding, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power while the motor-powered glider was maneuvering due to the fuel unporting in its fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing on unsuitable…

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.

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