Pipistrel Italia S R L VIRUS SW N202MM

Summary

On 19 September 2024 at about 19:35 local time, a Pipistrel Italia S R L VIRUS SW registered N202MM was involved in an accident near Boulder, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2024 at 19:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Boulder, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDU)

Coordinates

40.0394, -105.2261

Aircraft

Pipistrel Italia S R L VIRUS SW

Registration

N202MM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2023

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Buena Vista → Boulder

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA359

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a nose down attitude and subsequent porpoised landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane likely touched down on the nose landing gear first. The pilot stated that the airplane pitched upward immediately after touchdown, followed by episodes of increasing variation in pitch, then a sudden downward pitch, and the collapse of the nose landing gear. The airplane came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the engine mount and firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.