- Date
- October 16, 2011, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Indianapolis, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9013HPipistrel Sinus 912
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111016024949A
- Case key
- 82124
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the motor-glider while landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the motor-glider encountered a wind gust during the landing flare that resulted in a 15-degree runway misalignment. The pilot considered a go-around, but chose to attempt a landing in the grass adjacent to the runway because he believed that was the safest course of action. He stated that another wind gust "caught" the right wing and the motor-glider ground looped in the grass, nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the motor-glider encountered a wind gust during the landing flare that resulted in a 15-degree runway misalignment. The pilot considered a go-around, but elected to attempt a landing in the grass adjacent to the runway as the safest course of action. He stated that another wind gust "caught" the right wing and the motor-glider ground looped in the grass. The motor-glider subsequently nosed over and received substantial damage to its fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures. A weather reporting station near the accident airport recorded the wind speed as 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. The reported wind direction was aligned with the runway direction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9013H
- Reported as
- Pipistrel Sinus 912
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 088S9120103
- Airframe hours
- 664
- Engine
- Rotax 912S, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 2011
- Departed
- LOU · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- MQJ · Indianapolis, IN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- MQJ · Indianapolis Regional, runway 25
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 531 total · 344 in this make and model · 438 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 19 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.