# Incident 20250718009219I: Pipistrel Lsa S R L ALPHA TRAINER, Hartford, CT, July 18, 2025 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 18, 2025, 13:45 local time - Place: Hartford, CT - Airport: Hartford-Brainard - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.7367° N, 72.6494° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HARTFORD-BRAINARD (HFD), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7367&lon=-72.6494&mi=10 - Aircraft: N520AT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N520AT) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Pipistrel Lsa S R L ALPHA TRAINER (registry code 060009K, https://openairdocs.org/model/pipistrel-lsa-s-r-l-alpha-trainer) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax 912ULS series (registry code 55572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPISTREL LSA S R L ALPHA TRAINER - Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot, student - Pilot flight hours: 253 total, 10 in this make and model, 29 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250718009219I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 07/18/2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 01:40 PM LOCAL, A PIPISTREL ALPHA TRAINER AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, LANDING LIGHT AND ENGINE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS AFTER LANDING TOUCH DOWN ON RUNWAY TWO (2), AT THE HARTFORD BRAINARD AIRPORT (KHFD) IN CONNECTICUT. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC WAS CONDUCTED AT THE SCENE. THE PIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TRAINING THAT DAY. THE PIC STATED THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PIC STATED THAT ON THE APPROACH, SHORT FINAL AT APPROXIMATELY 400 – 500 FEET, HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE STUDENT PILOT TO COMPLETE THE LANDING PHASE OF THE FLIGHT. THE PIC STATED THAT DURING THE DESCENT TO RUNWAY 2, ONCE STABILIZED, HE FLARED THE AIRCRAFT, ENTERED GROUND EFFECT, AND A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRSPEED DROPPED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A PORPOISING EFFECT. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ABOUT 2 TO 3 TIMES ON RUNWAY 2. THE PIC STATED THAT HE TRIED TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER, THE WIND KEPT PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT AND INTO THE GRASS AREA ABOUT TEN FEET FROM THE RUNAWAY PAVEMENT. THE PIC STATED THAT’S WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE PIC STATED THAT ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, HE POWERED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AND WAITED FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO ARRIVE. THE PIC STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER OCCURRED WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE GRASS AREA. UPON INSPECTION OF RUNWAY 2, AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET FROM THE RUNAWAY THRESHOLD, THERE WERE MARKINGS ON THE PAVEMENT AND WOOD DEBRIS CONSISTENT WITH AN AIRCRAFT PROPELLER STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND TOWED TO A HANGER. THE AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY STILL UNDER MAINTENANCE FOR REPAIRS. THE AIRCRAFT RETURN TO SERVICE IS PENDING. ## Other reports on N520AT (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20200909016299I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200909016299I), Sep 9, 2020: Pipistrel Lsa S R L ALPHA TRAINER (N520AT), Hartford, CT, Minor damage. On September 9, 2020, the pilot (PIC) met with the CFI from learn 2 fly CT located at hfd around 3PM, with the purpose of receiving flight training so that the… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.