Pipistrel Taurus accident near Durango, CO
On July 8, 2011, a Pipistrel Taurus (airplane) was involved in an accident near Durango, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 8, 2011
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel Taurus · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.502°N, 107.814°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110708X04710
Official records · CEN11FA465
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 8, 2011, approximately 1700 mountain daylight time, a single-engine Pipistrel Taurus 503 glider, N261T, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Durango, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Gemtec Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), Durango, Colorado, at an unknown time. Witnesses observed the glider maneuvering at low altitude and heard the engine operating. The glider then landed hard on a golf course sidewalk. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 79, held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, airplane multi-engine land, glider, and instrument airplane. In addition, the pilot held a flight instructor certificate for gliders with the expiration date of February 29, 2012. A review of the pilot’s log book revealed that the pilot had an about 7,349 total hours with over 40.5 hours in make and model. On June 1, 2011, the pilot applied for a third class medical certificate but due to medical issues, the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) deferred the certificate for further assessment. The pilot did not need a medical certificate to operate the glider. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The two-seat, retractable-gear, glider, serial number 051T503, was manufactured in 2009. A 50 horsepower Rotax 503 UL engine
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control during the off-airport landing in strong winds, which resulted in a hard landing.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
