- Date
- April 17, 2026, 17:00 local (Apr 18, 2026, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N143AWPipistrel Alpha Trainer
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 202929
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s inadequate preflight inspection which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the flight instructor and student pilot, they performed a preflight inspection which included viewing the visual fuel quantity indicators inside the cabin, which they observed the level to be full. The flight instructor reported that he did not check the fuel quantity by removing the fuel caps. After flying for about 39 minutes in the airport traffic pattern performing several takeoffs and landings, during an initial climb, the engine had a total loss of power about 250 ft above ground level. The flight instructor assumed the flight controls and chose an empty street near the airport to initiate a forced landing. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel tanks contained no usable fuel, and the fuel system was intact with no evidence of leaks. The fuel sight gauges were a purple, transparent color, which would have likely made it difficult to see if fuel was present in the system. The pilot’s operating handbook indicated that fuel quantity should be checked both in the cabin and through the fuel cap on each wing during a preflight inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N143AW
- Reported as
- Pipistrel Alpha Trainer
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1030 AT 912 LSA
- Built
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 381
- Engine
- Rotax 912 UL 2-01, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 23, 2026
- Airport
- SNS · Salinas Municipal Airport
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,843 total · 21 in this make and model · 1,705 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 164.8 total · 13.3 in this make and model · 13.5 as pilot in command · 15.2 in the last 90 days · 13.3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KSNS
- METAR
- METAR KSNS 172353Z 29013G20KT 10SM CLR 20/M03 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP176 T02001028 10228 20178 55003=
Docket · 9
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 MB in all.