Pilot Debrief

PIPISTREL D O O ALPHA TRAINER near Wittman, AZ — 2025-09-25

Investigation ongoingWPR25LA291
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Date
2025-09-25
Location
Wittman, AZ, USA
Aircraft
PIPISTREL D O O ALPHA TRAINER
Registration
N246EA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

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.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (total) · Enroute-cruise
  • Engine Failure Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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