Pipistrel SINUS 912 accident near Oxford, Florida, August 22, 2019
On August 22, 2019 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 2015 Pipistrel SINUS 912, registered N331AV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Oxford, Florida. 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 pilot’s continued use of battery power during a nonpowered flight in a powered-glider, which depleted the battery to a level that was insufficient to power the starter during the engine restart sequence and resulted in a forced landing to a soft field and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2019 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Florida · 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 2015 · all SINUS 912s on the register
- Registration
- N331AV · no longer on the register · serial 736 SFN 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 he was building hours in the powered-glider to prepare for his glider instructor rating examination. He departed the airport with power and climbed to the west to chase thermals. After the powered-glider reached 4,000 ft above ground level (agl), he shut down the engine, left the battery power on, and continued to climb to 4,500 ft agl. After 30 minutes, he attempted to restart the engine, but the starter only cranked the engine briefly, and the propeller travelled one full revolution and then stopped. After another unsuccessful engine start attempt and with the glider too far away to glide back to the airport, the pilot located a field for a forced landing. During the landing roll, the main landing gear wheels dug into the soft field, and the powered-glider nosed over and then came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount truss. Postaccident examination of the powered-glider revealed that the single battery was depleted to a level that was insufficient to power the starter during the engine restart sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: San Antonio Light Sport Aircraft Inc
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
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 GAA19CA505.