# Accident 20111123027089A: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 20-C1, Athens, WI, November 23, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 23, 2011, 22:48 local time - Place: Athens, WI - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 45.0928° N, 90.1272° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0928&lon=-90.1272&mi=10 - Aircraft: N203MK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N203MK-2015-05-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 (registry code 2990001, https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da20-c1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-240-B (registry code 17177, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-240-b) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 20-C1 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-240-B - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 177 total, 94 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN12FA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA080) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111123027089A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 11/23/2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 LOCAL TIME (Z0330 11/24/11), PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED MANKATO, MN (KMRT) FOR MERRILL, WI (RRL) IN N203MK. WEATHER ALONG THE INTENDED FLIGHT PATH WAS INSTRUMENT METROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FOR RRL DESTINATION: WINDS 240@6, 3M, 500, OVERCAST/MIST AT 1955 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY 2248 LOCAL TIME (Z0448 11/24/11), 4.9-MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF ATHENS, WI. AND 21-MILES SHORT OF THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF MERRILL, WI. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE PERSON ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.THE PILOT WAS RATED IN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AIRPLANE MULTENGINE LAND, AND AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEA.ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A LINE SERVICE TECH FOR NORTH STAR AVIATION AT THE MANKATO REGIONAL AIRPORT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT TO RRL. WEATHER WAS AT THAT TIME IMC IN THE RRL AREA AND MUCH OF THE PLANNED FLIGHT PATH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECOMMENDED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOT TO MAKE THIS FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN STATED HE WOULD "SCUD RUN IT" IF HE HAD TO. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT NORTH STAR AVIATION (KMRT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT APPROXIMATELY 2039 LOCAL AND ASKED ABOUT THE WEATHER FOR HIS FLIGHT TO WI. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADVISED THE WEATHER WAS GOOD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECONFIRMED THE WEATHER WAS GOOD AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID YES, NO PROBLEM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN SAID OKAY AND HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND. N203MK WAS OBSERVED DEPARTING KMRT AT APPROXIMATELY 2130. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT DID NOT TALK TO ATC WHILE INFLIGHT.MN ARTCC PROVIDED DATA FROM VARIOUS RADAR STATIONS (QJE, EGV, QHL) WHICH HAD HITS ON A TARGET WITH A FLIGHT PATH FROM KMRT TO RRL AT THE TIME N203MK WAS MAKING ITS FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSMITTING 1200 ON THE TRANSPONDER AND IS ASSUMED TO BE N203MK. AIRCRAFT WAS CRUSING AT APPROXIMATELY 153 K (176MPH) MAINTAINING A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 7300' TO 7500' UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES FROM RRL AND STARTED A DESENT AT 2235 LOCAL TIME FROM 7500'. AT APPROXIMATELY 2238 LOCAL TIME AND 3400' THE AIRCRAFT GOES OFF THE QHZ (HORICON) RADAR AND IS AT THAT TIME, APPROXIMATELY 17.8 MILES FROM CRASH SITE. SPEED OF AIRCRAFT CALCULATED FROM RADAR HITS AND DISTANCE TRAVELED. CALCULATED SPEED FROM RADAR AND DISTANCE FROM WHEN AIRCRAFT WENT OFF RADAR TO CRASH SITE MATCH, AND SETS THE TIME OF THE CRASH AT APPROXIMATELY 2248 LOCAL TIME (Z0448 24NOV11).CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED BY MARATHON SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 25NOV11. CRASH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 21-MILES SOUTHWEST OF DESTINATION AIRPORT RRL.TESTING OF FLIGHT CONTROLS FOUND CONTINUITY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COCKPIT CONTROLS AND PUSHRODS, BELLCRANKS AND CABLES OPERATED PROPERLY IN AND ROUND THE COCKPIT AREA. NATURALLY THE LINKAGES IN THE WINGS, VERTICAL, AND TAIL AREAS COULD NOT BE TESTED AND ONLY VISUALLY INSPECTED. NO ABNORMAL OPERATION OR FINDINGS OF THE DETACHED COMPONENTS SUGGESTED A MALFUNCTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS INSPECTED. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND WITH INSTRUMENTS, ENGINE, OR ENGINE COMPONENTS.AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN12FA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA080), Nov 24, 2011: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1 (N203MK), Bern, WI, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent impact with the terrain. ## Other reports on N203MK (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20070605825009I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070605825009I), Jun 5, 2007: Diamon DA20C1 (N203MK), Mankato, MN, Minor damage. (-23) As aircraft was landing the pilot flared early, the aircraft floated and the pilot applied power to go around. The left wing dipped and the aircraft… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.