Pipistrel SINUS 912 accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, August 12, 2018
On August 12, 2018 at about 12:40 pm local time, a 2006 Pipistrel SINUS 912 (glider), registered N467L, was destroyed in an accident during landing near West Palm Beach, Florida (North Palm Beach County Genera airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the exhaust system manifold, which resulted in a ground fire after landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2018 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · North Palm Beach County Genera · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel SINUS 912 No Series, built 2006 · all SINUS 912s on the register
- Registration
- N467L · no longer on the register · serial 213S9121106KIT49
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot of a motor glider was taking off when he noticed the engine sounded "a little rough"; as he turned downwind, he started to smell smoke. He reported that he shut down the engine and returned for an uneventful landing. When the motor glider stopped, the pilot noticed flames below the right door; the flames grew and eventually consumed and destroyed the airplane. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the exhaust manifold had various cracks on the tubing. Examination of the exhaust manifold revealed the fracture and cracking of the exhaust system manifold tubes was due to fatigue. The fatigue cracks on the exhaust manifold were progressive in nature and had likely been present for some time before the accident, allowing exhaust gasses to begin escaping into the engine compartment before reaching the muffler assembly. It is likely that the exhaust gases caused a flammable condition the that resulted in a ground fire after landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,402 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,597 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 350 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 15, 2018; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,210 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL2 (piston); 350 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: F45 West Palm Beach FL at 12:20 pm
- Destination: F45 West Palm Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 3,679 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from F45
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA18LA214.