Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER accident near Pampa, TX
On June 11, 2013, a Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pampa, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 11, 2013
- Place
- Pampa, TX
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.896°N, 100.999°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130611X40901
Official records · CEN13FA338
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 11, 2013, at 0038 central daylight time (CDT), a Pipistrel LSA SRL Alpha Trainer light sport airplane, N477PA, impacted terrain 22 miles north of Pampa, Texas, following a loss of engine power. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and the commercial pilot was seriously injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Wisdom Aviation LLC., and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Anderson Municipal Airport – Darlington Field (KAID), Anderson, Indiana, on June 10, 2013, at 1336 and was en route to Hutchinson County Airport (KBGD), Borger, Texas. According to the owner, the airplane was being flown to Moriarty, New Mexico, to receive a repair on the composite material behind the main landing gear. He stated that the airline transport pilot had volunteered to take the airplane to New Mexico for the maintenance. The airline transport pilot intended to fly to Texas, stay overnight, and then continue to New Mexico the next day. According to the commercial pilot, he elected to ride along for the flight to gain flight experience and familiarity with the airplane. The decision was made to depart on June 10, as the commercial pilot had mandatory training he had to return for on June 13. During the flight, the commercial pilot sat in the left seat and the airline transport pilot sat in the
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the manufacturer providing the incorrect Pilot’s Operating Handbook to the owner, which prevented the pilot from accurately calculating the fuel requirements before the flight. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and poor decision-making.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
