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Incident · Fatality

Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands

On 13 October 2018, an Italian-registered Pipistrel Alpha Electro (I-D057) crashed near Stadskanaal airfield in the Netherlands, killing the sole pilot. The Dutch Safety Board determined the accident was caused by a low airspeed situation close to stall speed, leading to a stall and incipient spin from which the aircraft did not recover.

Contributing factors included the aircraft's full-span flaperons, unusual landing configuration of +25° flaps on base leg, lack of a stall warning system, and the pilot's limited experience with the Alpha Electro. The aircraft caught fire post-impact and was destroyed. This was the first accident worldwide with a Pipistrel Alpha Electro and the first with an electric-powered aircraft in the Netherlands.

Occurred 2018-10-13 · Pipistrel

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Sources (2)

  1. Dutch Safety Board · https://onderzoeksraad.nl/en/onderzoek/fatal-loss-of-control-pipistrel-alpha-electro-near-stadskanaal/ · 2020-07-10
  2. Aviation Safety Network · https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/216236

Status history

  • Active · 2026-08-17 · agent:recon

Common questions

What happened in Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands?
On 13 October 2018, an Italian-registered Pipistrel Alpha Electro (I-D057) crashed near Stadskanaal airfield in the Netherlands, killing the sole pilot. The Dutch Safety Board determined the accident was caused by a low airspeed situation close to stall speed, leading to a stall and incipient spin from which the aircraft did not recover. Contributing factors included the aircraft's full-span flaperons, unusual landing configuration of +25° flaps on base leg, lack of a stall warning system, and the pilot's limited experience with the Alpha Electro. The aircraft caught fire post-impact and was destroyed. This was the first accident worldwide with a Pipistrel Alpha Electro and the first with an electric-powered aircraft in the Netherlands.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on October 13, 2018 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
Who was involved in Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands?
The incident is recorded as involving Pipistrel on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.
Has anyone responded to Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Unreviewed · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-17

Verification posture

Unreviewed

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-17

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Fatal loss of control accident with Pipistrel Alpha Electro near Stadskanaal airfield, Netherlands.

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Canonical ID 821c146f-2791-4ddc-9f5a-5b3938696585