20070709011309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Diamon DA 40 · Heber City, UT · July 9, 2007

Date: July 9, 2007 · 09:45 local
Place: Heber City, UT
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N747PZ
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX07CA213
Reported as: Diamon DA40
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 150 total15 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N747PZRegistration cancelled Apr 21, 2010 · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40S/N 40.424 · Built 2004 Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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) Flying back from vernal with brother and 2 children onboard at 500 feet above mountains when they decided to go up a canyon to see if they could find any elk. As they flew up the canyon which was getting narrow, they could not gain altitude or airspeed with full power. The terrain sloped up dramatically, the pilot didn't think he could safely do a 180 degree turn without stalling, and had no choice but to try to land straight ahead into the trees. Controlled flight into terrain.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLYING BACK FROM VERNAL WITH BROTHER AND 2 CHILDREN ONBOARD AT 500 FEET ABOVE MOUNTAINS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO GO UP A CANYON TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND ANY ELK. AS THEY FLEW UP THE CANYON WHICH WAS GETTING NARROW, THEY COULD NOT GAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED WITH FULL POWER. THE TERRAIN SLOPED UP DRAMATICALLY, THE PILOT DIDN'T THINK HE COULD SAFELY DO A 180 DEGREE TURN WITHOUT STALLING, AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TRY TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO THE TREES. CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN.

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 LAX07CA213Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportStrawberry Rese, UTThe pilot failed to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to turn into upsloping terrain at a low altitude.Jul 9, 2007 · Substantial damage