# Accident 20250711009139A: Pipistrel Italia S R L ALPHA TRAINER, Hurricane, UT, July 11, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2025, 10:50 local time
- Place: Hurricane, UT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9190° N, 113.1667° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9190&lon=-113.1667&mi=10
- Aircraft: N209ZM (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPISTREL ITALIA S R L ALPHA TRAINER
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912UL SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 274 total, 125 in this make and model, 43 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA209) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250711009139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JULY 11, 2025, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED 1L8 WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF GCN FOR A TOUCH AND GO AND A RETURN FLIGHT TO 1L8.  AN IMC FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED TO ALLOW THE PASSENGER (A CERTIFICATED PILOT) TO TRAIN FOR THEIR INSTRUMENT RATING.  THE FLIGHT TO GCN WENT UNEVENTFULLY AND DURING THE LAST 30 MINUTES OF THE RETURN FLIGHT, THE PIC NAMED IN THE REPORT ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.  AT ~15 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE INTENDED DESTINATION, THE PIC BEGAN TO PERFORM SEVERAL COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS.  DURING THE SECOND MANEUVER, THE PIC ENTERED A TURN WITH AN AGGRESSIVE INITIAL BANK ANGLE WHILE UNDER REDUCED POWER.  THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE TO DIP AND THE AIRCRAFT TO RAPIDLY INCREASE AIRSPEED.  AIRSPEED INDICATIONS WERE NOTED AS BEING 140 KNOTS WHICH EXCEEDED THE ALLOWABLE VNE OF 135 KNOTS.  THE PIC WAS ABLE TO RECOVER BY PULLING BACK ON THE CONTROLS AND REDUCING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE; HOWEVER, AT SOME POINT DURING THIS TRANSITION THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AERODYNAMIC BUFFETING AND THE LEFT FLAPERON DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PIC DID NOT EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS AFTER THAT MANEUVER AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO 1L8 WHERE THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.  A POST DAMAGE ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED THAT ALL BUT FOUR FEET OF THE LEFT FLAPERON WAS MISSING AND THAT THERE WAS AN ~ONE FOOT TEAR IN THE COMPOSITE SKIN ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING ROOT.  A 44709 RE-EXAMINATION AND COUNSELLING ARE BEING RECOMMENDED AND THIS INVESTIGATION IS BEING CLOSED WITH NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED AT THIS TIME.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR25LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA209), Jul 11, 2025: Pipistrel Alpha Trainer (N209ZM), Colorado City, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s never-exceed speed (VNE) during maneuvering, which resulted in the in-flight separation of the left flaperon.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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