Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER accident near Pompano Beach, Florida, July 16, 2014
On July 16, 2014 at about 1:15 am local time, a 2012 Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER, registered N10PU, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Pompano Beach, Florida (Pompano Beach Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s miscalculation of the fuel quantity requirements, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2014 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Pompano Beach, Florida · Pompano Beach Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER, built 2012 · all ALPHA TRAINERs on the register
- Registration
- N10PU · no longer on the register · serial 451 AT 912 LSA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during the preflight inspection, he determined that the airplane had 45 percent of its fuel capacity (5.7 of 12.7 usable gallons). He determined the fuel amount by viewing the indicators on the cockpit panel and by "dipping" the tank and noting that the fuel level was just below the halfway mark on the dip stick. He found no water or grit in the fuel. The pilot reported that the flight was intended to be 1 hour long and that, per the airplane's performance criteria, he calculated that the engine would consume 3.6 gallons of fuel during the flight. The pilot took off on the local flight, and, when the airplane was inbound toward his home airport, the engine "abruptly stopped." He then diverted toward a closer airport and attempted to restart the engine without success. While approaching the airport, he made shallow turns to align the airplane with a runway, but the airplane's left wing impacted a tree, and the airplane subsequently impacted the airport perimeter fence. The cockpit GPS indicated that the flight was 0.9 hour long. No fuel was found in the fuel tanks or lines, and no evidence of fuel leakage was found at the accident site.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,732 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 5,320 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 8, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 180 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 19, 2014; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,212 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 180 hours total
- Operator: Second Wind Aircraft Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: FD08 Delray Beach FL
- Destination: FD08 Delray Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,502 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA14LA355.