Pipistrel SINUS accident near Townsend, Tennessee, April 10, 2020
On April 10, 2020 at about 2:40 pm local time, a 2013 Pipistrel SINUS, registered N711MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Townsend, Tennessee. 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 motor glider's encounter with atmospheric lift conditions that were not sufficient to maintain flight, which necessitated a forced landing and resulted in impact with vegetation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed decision to restart the motor glider's engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2020 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Townsend, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel SINUS No Series, built 2013 · all SINUSs on the register
- Registration
- N711MK · no longer on the register · serial 510 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 reported that, while en route, the motor glider began to lose altitude unexpectedly. He turned the motor glider toward an area where lift was expected, but it continued to descend. When the motor glider was about 300 ft above trees, he unfeathered the propeller and started the engine. The motor glider continued to descend due to a downdraft, and the pilot deployed the airframe parachute. Subsequently, the motor glider impacted vegetation, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the motor glider that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of lift during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Thermal lifting › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,210 hours in all; 1,043 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 26, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,046 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,212 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL2 (piston); 816 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Atlanta GA at 1:00 pm
- Destination: RYY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from 1A5, 22 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA20CA151.