Pipistrel Italia SINUS 912 LSA N6263R

Summary

On 9 April 2020 at about 21:00 local time, a Pipistrel Italia SINUS 912 LSA registered N6263R was involved in an accident near Marathon, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 April 2020 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Marathon, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

The Florida Keys Marathon Intl (MTH)

Coordinates

24.7194, -81.0586

Aircraft

Pipistrel Italia SINUS 912 LSA

Registration

N6263R

Category

Airplane

Year built

2020

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marathon → Marathon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA149

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of control of the motorized glider, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with a residential home and postimpact fire. The reason for the loss of control could not be determined due to the condition of the wreckage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the motor glider performed a preflight inspection, departed the airport, and remained in the local area conducting maneuvers. Witnesses observed the glider about a mile from the airport and reported hearing unusually loud noises coming from it and, subsequently, a laboring engine. The glider had the appearance of wobbling; the engine surged and sputtered, and the glider then made a sharp left turn and the nose dropped. The glider's airframe ballistic parachute deployed shortly before the impact with a residential home and a postimpact fire ensued. It is likely that the glider entered an aerodynamic stall and an entry phase of a spin prior to impact. It is also likely that, despite the pilot’s attempt to pull the airframe parachute, it was not deployed at a sufficient altitude to arrest the descent. The airframe was destroyed by post-impact fire, which precluded an examination of the flight control system. Examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology testing detected three potentially impairing substances in the pilot’s specimens. The sedating antihistamine diphenhydramine was detected in his blood and not quantified by one laboratory and not detected in iliac blood by another laboratory. While diphenhydramine is known to cause sedation, the level detected in the pilot’s blood appears to be well below therapeutic levels. Although no absolute threshold for impairment exists, any psychomotor effects from such a low diphenhydramine level would likely have been insignificant. The motion sickness medication meclizine was also detected but not quantified in the pilot’s blood. While meclizine can cause drowsiness, it’s also likely that any effects would have been minor at low concentrations detected. Duloxetine was detected at therapeutic levels in the pilot’s blood. The medication and conditions for which it is prescribed can impair the mental or physical ability to perform complex tasks. However, based on the operational evidence, the pilot appeared to have been intentionally testing the glider and took actions, although too late, to deploy the parachute. Thus, it is unlikely that effects from the pilot’s use of diphenhydramine, duloxetine, and meclizine were factors in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.