Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER N40EN

Summary

On 30 May 2019 at about 02:45 local time, a Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER registered N40EN was involved in an accident near Salida, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 May 2019 at 02:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Salida, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Salida Arpt Harriett Alexander (ANK)

Coordinates

38.5300, -106.0667

Aircraft

Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER

Registration

N40EN

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gallup → Salida

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA295

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to replace the fuel cap after fueling, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing to a field and subsequent collision with a fence.      

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after fueling the airplane, he did not realize that he had not replaced the fuel cap. During takeoff, the fuel gauge showed that the airplane had 74% of fuel remaining. About 5 nautical miles from the destination airport, the fuel gauge showed that the airplane had 10% of fuel remaining. He flew the airplane in a straight line to the end of the runway and reduced the engine throttle setting to idle, which set up a lower glidepath than normal. When the airplane reached a field west of the runway, the airplane "ran out of fuel." The pilot conducted a forced landing on the field, during which the airplane impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the wreckage reported that less than 1/2 a gallon of fuel was recovered from the fuel tank. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.