20030613011359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Diamon DA20-A1 · Little Sahara, UT · June 13, 2003

Date: June 13, 2003 · 10:00 local
Place: Little Sahara, UT
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N630DA
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN03LA104
Reported as: Diamon DA20A1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 180 total15 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N630DARegistration cancelled Dec 1, 2004 · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-A1S/N 10300 · Built 1997 Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-A1 Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot was in cruise flight on the east side of a range of mountains that ran north and south. Aircraft entered descending (leeward side) air, pilot failed to be situationally aware of his options and turned up a canyon wherein the terrain climbed faster than the aircraft's performance. Aircraft impacted juniper trees and crashed. No serious injuries to either occupant, substantial damage to aircraft tail, right wing, landing gear, propeller and canopy. ELT did not activate and pilot did not activate ELT.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ON THE EAST SIDE OF A RANGE OF MOUNTAINS THAT RAN NORTH AND SOUTH. AIRCRAFT ENTERED DESCENDING (LEEWARD SIDE) AIR, PILOT FAILED TO BE SITUATIONALLY AWARE OF HIS OPTIONS AND TURNED UP A CANYON WHEREIN THE TERRAIN CLIMBED FASTER THAN THE AIRCRAFT'S PERFORMANCE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED JUNIPER TREES AND CRASHED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES TO EITHER OCCUPANT, SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT TAIL, RIGHT WING, LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER AND CANOPY. ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE AND PILOT DID NOT ACTIVATE ELT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN03LA104Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEureka, UTthe pilot's improper in-flight planning and failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing factors include high density altitude, hilly terrain, low airspeed and the subsequent inadvertent stall/mush.Jun 13, 2003 · Destroyed