- Date
- July 1, 2008, 12:23 local (19:23 UTC)
- Place
- Bend, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N126BFPipistrel Virus 912
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080701840409A
- Case key
- 68378
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 improper flare, inadequate bounced landing recovery, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Findings · 3
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 was performing an approach to the destination airport in his powered glider. The aircraft touched down and bounced. It then began to veer to the right of the runway centerline. The aircraft then swerved to the left and the pilot could not regain control. The aircraft continued off the runway surface and down an embankment. The main landing gear encountered soft terrain and the aircraft nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine. He noted that winds were calm. When queried as to the cause of the accident, the pilot opined that the aircraft had "too much energy" during the landing sequence.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was performing an approach to the destination airport in his powered glider. The aircraft touched down and bounced. It began to veer to the right of the runway centerline. The aircraft then unexpectedly swerved to the left and the pilot could not regain control. The aircraft continued off the runway surface and down an embankment. The main landing gear encountered soft terrain and the aircraft nosed over.
The pilot spoke with a National Transportation Safety investigator immediately following the accident. He stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine. He noted that winds were calm. When queried as to the cause of the accident, the pilot opined that the aircraft had "too much energy" during the landing sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N126BF
- Reported as
- Pipistrel Virus 912
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 180VTL9120905KIT49
- Airframe hours
- 130
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2007
- Departed
- S21 · Sunriver, OR
- Destination
- BDN · Bend, OR
- Airport
- KBDN · Bend Municipal Airport, runway 34, 5,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2008
- Flight hours
- 2,770 total · 12 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 17 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- RDM, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.