What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 2019, about 1920 eastern daylight time, a Diamond DA20-C1 airplane, N212DX, crashed, three tenths of a nautical mile short of runway 23 at smith field airport (smd), Fort Wayne, Indiana. The private pilot and his non-pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The pilot stated that this was the last of four scenic flights around the city of Fort Wayne, with different passengers on each flight. He stated that he conducted preflight inspection and confirmed the fuel onboard the aircraft was one half of usable (12 of 24 U.S. Gallons) by the instrument gauge and by using the Diamond aircraft dipstick, prior to the first flight. During the interview, the pilot confirmed that he conducted engine runups before each flight and that one quarter of fuel was remaining by the instrument gauge prior to the start of the event flight. The engine oil pressure activated hobbs meter indicated 1.8 hours of engine operating time between the first flight and the time observed at the crash site.
According to the pilot on the event flight, he made a midfield cross and turned base for final on runway 23, five to ten seconds after turning base the engine sputtered and then quit operating. He raised flaps and determined that he could not make it to the runway and would have to perform an off airport landing.
The airplane descended between two, single story industrial complex buildings, dragging the right wing first, then rolled left impacting a waste dumpster with left wing just outboard of fuselage, the left main gear also impacted the ground. The airplane continued forward 110 feet, striking a tree and coming to rest. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing and empennage, which were partially broken away from the fuselage.
The FAA iic with local FBO personnel assistance leveled the aircraft to determine remaining fuel on the airplane. Sixteen ounces of fuel were drained from the fuel tank using the maintenance drains. The fuel system lines, gasolator and tank structure were examined and found no observable fuel leakage.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2019, ABOUT 1920 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A DIAMOND DA20-C1 AIRPLANE, N212DX, CRASHED, THREE TENTHS OF A NAUTICAL MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 23 AT SMITH FIELD AIRPORT (SMD), FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS NON-PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE PILOT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE LAST OF FOUR SCENIC FLIGHTS AROUND THE CITY OF FORT WAYNE, WITH DIFFERENT PASSENGERS ON EACH FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE CONDUCTED PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND CONFIRMED THE FUEL ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONE HALF OF USABLE (12 OF 24 U.S. GALLONS) BY THE INSTRUMENT GAUGE AND BY USING THE DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DIPSTICK, PRIOR TO THE FIRST FLIGHT. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT CONFIRMED THAT HE CONDUCTED ENGINE RUNUPS BEFORE EACH FLIGHT AND THAT ONE QUARTER OF FUEL WAS REMAINING BY THE INSTRUMENT GAUGE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE EVENT FLIGHT. THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ACTIVATED HOBBS METER INDICATED 1.8 HOURS OF ENGINE OPERATING TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST FLIGHT AND THE TIME OBSERVED AT THE CRASH SITE.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT ON THE EVENT FLIGHT, HE MADE A MIDFIELD CROSS AND TURNED BASE FOR FINAL ON RUNWAY 23, FIVE TO TEN SECONDS AFTER TURNING BASE THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT OPERATING. HE RAISED FLAPS AND DETERMINED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY AND WOULD HAVE TO PERFORM AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING.
THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BETWEEN TWO, SINGLE STORY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX BUILDINGS, DRAGGING THE RIGHT WING FIRST, THEN ROLLED LEFT IMPACTING A WASTE DUMPSTER WITH LEFT WING JUST OUTBOARD OF FUSELAGE, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ALSO IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED FORWARD 110 FEET, STRIKING A TREE AND COMING TO REST. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND EMPENNAGE, WHICH WERE PARTIALLY BROKEN AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE.
THE FAA IIC WITH LOCAL FBO PERSONNEL ASSISTANCE LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE REMAINING FUEL ON THE AIRPLANE. SIXTEEN OUNCES OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANK USING THE MAINTENANCE DRAINS. THE FUEL SYSTEM LINES, GASOLATOR AND TANK STRUCTURE WERE EXAMINED AND FOUND NO OBSERVABLE FUEL LEAKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.