Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER accident near Salida, Colorado, May 30, 2019
On May 30, 2019 at about 2:45 am local time, a 2014 Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER, registered N40EN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Salida, Colorado (Salida Arpt Harriett Alexander airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2019 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Salida, Colorado · Salida Arpt Harriett Alexander · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel ALPHA TRAINER No Series, built 2014 · all ALPHA TRAINERs on the register
- Registration
- N40EN · no longer on the register · serial 683 AT 912 LSA
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of engine power (total) during landing defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 266 hours in all; 166 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 266 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 211 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,212 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL2 (piston); 211 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUP Gallup NM at 12:15 pm
- Destination: ANK Salida CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 7,351 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 GAA19CA295.