# Incident 20250528020279I: Pipistrel Lsa S R L VIRUS SW, Fitchburg, MA, May 28, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 28, 2025, 08:30 local time
- Place: Fitchburg, MA
- Airport: Fitchburg Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5538° N, 71.7592° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FITCHBURG MUNI (FIT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5538&lon=-71.7592&mi=10
- Aircraft: N447XS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N447XS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Pipistrel Lsa S R L VIRUS SW (registry code 060008T, https://openairdocs.org/model/pipistrel-lsa-s-r-l-virus-sw) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 912ULS series (registry code 55572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPISTREL LSA S R L VIRUS SW
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Sport pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 220 total, 26 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250528020279I

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 28, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 EDT THE EVENT AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A BROKEN NOSE WHEEL FORK DUE TO A HARD LANDING RESULTING IN A PROPELLER STRIKE. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED RUNWAY 32 THE PILOT STATED HE WAS OUT OF SEQUENCE AS HE APPLIED THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM INDUCING INSTABILITY JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT RELEASED THE AIRBRAKE, HIT THE RUNWAY HARD BOUNCING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PORPOISE. THE PILOT THEN THROTTLED UP TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. UPON LANDING, FOLLOWING THE GO-AROUND, THE NOSE WHEEL FORK SNAPPED AND BUCKLED, CAUSING THE NOSE TIRE TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS AS THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT'S TRAJECTORY WAS MARKED BY VISIBLE DRAG AND SKID MARKS, WITH PROP STRIKES INCREASING AS THE NOSE LOWERED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE GRASSY AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 32. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND CALM WITH WINDS OUT OF THE WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS.

THE FLIGHT CREW CONSISTED OF ONE PILOT IN COMMAND WITH NO OTHER PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE PILOT EVACUATED SAFELY AND WAS UNINJURED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR FORK BUCKLED, AND THE PROPELLER STRIKE. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT’S CERTIFICATES DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY. THE PILOT LOGBOOK CONFIRMED THE PILOT HAD 26.6 HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 6.6 HOURS IN AN ALPHA TRAINER THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 150LBS LIGHTER AND NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AIRBRAKE SYSTEM.

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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