FutureFlight
Overheated Power Controller Caused Alpha Electro Motor Failure
The pilot of a Pipistrel Alpha Electro electric aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Norway after a motor failure.
Pipistrel Alpha Electro
Overheating to the power controller, caused by insufficient levels of coolant, caused the single electric motor in a Pipistrel Alpha Electro aircraft to fail. (Photo: Pipistrel)

An overheated power controller resulted in the loss of power to the electric motor on a Pipistrel Alpha Electro aircraft that had to make an emergency landing during a flight in Norway on Aug. 14, 2019, according to an accident report published today by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA). The aircraft lost all propulsive power on approach to Arendal Gullknapp Airport, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in a lake with no resulting injuries to the two people on board.

The investigation concluded that the overheating in the power controller resulted from insufficient coolant having been added during a recent replacement of the aircraft’s single electric motor. The NSIA team said that a lack of clarity in Pipistrel’s maintenance manual for the aircraft contributed to this error.