Pipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINER N246EA

Summary

On 25 September 2025 at about 13:53 local time, a Pipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINER registered N246EA, operated by Mesa Pilot Development LLC, was involved in an accident near Wittman, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

25 September 2025 at 13:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Wittman, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.7649, -112.8261

Aircraft

Pipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINER

Registration

N246EA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2023

Engines

1

Operator

Mesa Pilot Development LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Glendale → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

WPR25LA291

2 people had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On September 25, 2025, at about 0653 mountain daylight time, a Pipistrel D O O Alpha Trainer, N246EA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wittman, Arizona. The two pilots on board received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilots, while in cruise flight at an altitude of 6,500 ft msl, the engine suddenly experienced a total loss of power, and the propeller stopped rotating. The pilots attempted to restart the engine, but the propeller would not rotate when the starter was engaged, and they were unable to restore engine power. The pilots then prepared for a forced landing and turned the airplane toward an oval-shaped car test track. As the airplane approached the test track, the pilots realized the sloped surface of the test track made it unsuitable to land on, and they turned the airplane toward flat desert terrain north of the track. During landing, the nose landing gear dug into the dirt, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to its empennage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.