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20200607008669I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG · Dubois, PA · June 7, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 7, 2020 · 19:15 local
Place
Dubois, PA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N995DA
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
Reported engine
AUSTRO E4 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
123 total83 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N995DARegistered now · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NGS/N 40.NC002 · Built 2017Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NGEngine modelAustro E4 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.

A download of aircraft and engine eecu data was performed on 6/8/2020 and sent to austro engines. An email received from austro engines technical representative on 6/18/2020 the data from eecu download confirms that the engine master switch was selected off by the pilot in charge. Without sufficient time to recognize the error the pilot made an off airfield landing. The pilot narrative follows. End wdg.

My name is privacy data omitted, I was pilot in command of N995DA when it was landed in a field, at 1900 eastern daylight time on Friday June 6, 2020. The passenger along with me was privacy data omitted his contact information is privacy data omitted for his cellular phone. I was renting the plane and taking out of Dubois, PA (kduj). After performing a preflight I proceeded to taxi to the runway with the best wind component at the time which was runway 25. Before entering the runway, I performed the published Diamond manufacturer?s checklist that included the voter switch and ecu test, everything passed. I made my calls to depart runway 25 and when I started takeoff everything performed as it should. At 500 feet I started to retract my takeoff flaps, this is when the engine lost thrust. After seeing alternator failure and engine thrust was lost, I set up for my glide speed of 88 knots. I realized I was to low for a return to the airport and made the decision to aim for a field directly in front of me. Coming in over the field I was bit higher then I would have liked so I put a slip in, then a bit later put both flaps back in. Realizing I didn?t have much field left I put it on the ground as best and smooth as I could. After landing a safe evacuation was made away from the airplane and the passenger and I were both uninjured. State police arrived at the scene where they took a report on what happened and made sure the passenger and I were okay.

- privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

A DOWNLOAD OF AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE EECU DATA WAS PERFORMED ON 6/8/2020 AND SENT TO AUSTRO ENGINES. AN EMAIL RECEIVED FROM AUSTRO ENGINES TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE ON 6/18/2020 THE DATA FROM EECU DOWNLOAD CONFIRMS THAT THE ENGINE MASTER SWITCH WAS SELECTED OFF BY THE PILOT IN CHARGE. WITHOUT SUFFICIENT TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE ERROR THE PILOT MADE AN OFF AIRFIELD LANDING. THE PILOT NARRATIVE FOLLOWS. END WDG.

MY NAME IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, I WAS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N995DA WHEN IT WAS LANDED IN A FIELD, AT 1900 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ON FRIDAY JUNE 6, 2020. THE PASSENGER ALONG WITH ME WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HIS CONTACT INFORMATION IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR HIS CELLULAR PHONE. I WAS RENTING THE PLANE AND TAKING OUT OF DUBOIS, PA (KDUJ). AFTER PERFORMING A PREFLIGHT I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE RUNWAY WITH THE BEST WIND COMPONENT AT THE TIME WHICH WAS RUNWAY 25. BEFORE ENTERING THE RUNWAY, I PERFORMED THE PUBLISHED DIAMOND MANUFACTURER?S CHECKLIST THAT INCLUDED THE VOTER SWITCH AND ECU TEST, EVERYTHING PASSED. I MADE MY CALLS TO DEPART RUNWAY 25 AND WHEN I STARTED TAKEOFF EVERYTHING PERFORMED AS IT SHOULD. AT 500 FEET I STARTED TO RETRACT MY TAKEOFF FLAPS, THIS IS WHEN THE ENGINE LOST THRUST. AFTER SEEING ALTERNATOR FAILURE AND ENGINE THRUST WAS LOST, I SET UP FOR MY GLIDE SPEED OF 88 KNOTS. I REALIZED I WAS TO LOW FOR A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE THE DECISION TO AIM FOR A FIELD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. COMING IN OVER THE FIELD I WAS BIT HIGHER THEN I WOULD HAVE LIKED SO I PUT A SLIP IN, THEN A BIT LATER PUT BOTH FLAPS BACK IN. REALIZING I DIDN?T HAVE MUCH FIELD LEFT I PUT IT ON THE GROUND AS BEST AND SMOOTH AS I COULD. AFTER LANDING A SAFE EVACUATION WAS MADE AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE AND THE PASSENGER AND I WERE BOTH UNINJURED. STATE POLICE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WHERE THEY TOOK A REPORT ON WHAT HAPPENED AND MADE SURE THE PASSENGER AND I WERE OKAY.

- ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^