Pipistrel SINUS accident near Haverhill, Massachusetts, July 4, 2019
On July 4, 2019, a 2013 Pipistrel SINUS (glider), registered N269PW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Haverhill, Massachusetts (Lawrence Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to utilize the proper procedure and unfeather the motorized glider’s propeller prior to an in-flight engine restart, resulting in a lack of thrust and subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2019
- Place
- Haverhill, Massachusetts · Lawrence Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel SINUS, built 2013 · all SINUSs on the register
- Registration
- N269PW · no longer on the register · serial 503 SN 912 LSA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed in his motorized glider, climbed to 3,500 ft, then turned off the engine and feathered the two-bladed propeller once he reached the area where he wanted to soar. Since weather conditions were not conducive to soaring, he attempted to return to the airport. In preparation to land he said he restarted the engine without using the glider's documented procedures. The engine started but was not producing the expected power. The pilot thought he had a fuel problem and was not aware that the propeller was still in a feathered condition. Although the engine was operating normally, the feathered propeller was unable to produce the thrust needed to maintain altitude. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing and the airplane impacted a fence about 1.5 miles short of the runway. The glider sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the glider revealed that both propeller blades and the propeller control knob were in the feathered position. Examination of the engine and airplane revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of impact.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller controlling system › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 215 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 19, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 217 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 28, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912-UL2 (piston); 217 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWM Haverhill MA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: LWM Haverhill MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from LWM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.