Pipistrel Italia S R L ALPHA TRAINER N208ZM

Summary

On 8 June 2024 at about 19:10 local time, a Pipistrel Italia S R L ALPHA TRAINER registered N208ZM was involved in an accident near Paso Robles, California, United States. 2 people were 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

8 June 2024 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Paso Robles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Halter Ranch Airstrip (89CA)

Coordinates

35.6400, -120.8500

Aircraft

Pipistrel Italia S R L ALPHA TRAINER

Registration

N208ZM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coalinga → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA189

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack that resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he entered the traffic pattern for runway 04 and had previously received information by email from ground personnel, that the wind was from the south at 4 kts. While on final approach, the pilot initiated a forward slip to assist with the airplane’s descent and he terminated the slip, the stall warning horn sounded. After the stall warning horn sounded, the airplane “lost lift and had no control” as it descended into a vineyard located to the left of the runway. The airplane impacted the ground, rotated 180°, and came to rest upright. The wings, fuselage, and empennage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.