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20230706010349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 · Jeffersonville, IN · July 6, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 6, 2023 · 08:24 local
Place
Jeffersonville, IN
Airport
Clark Regional
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N988CT
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA281
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1
Reported engine
Continental 0-200 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
922 total101 in this make and model177 in the last 90 days
N988CTRegistration cancelled Jul 22, 2024 · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1S/N C0088 · Built 1999Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1Engine modelContinental 0-200 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 Diamond aircraft industries DA20-C1 aircraft conducted an emergency landing in a cornfield 3.5 miles southeast of sellersburg (kjvy) on 07/06/2023 at 08:24 local time (1224Z), with an instructor and student pilot on board. No injuries were reported.

No visible fuel was noted during investigation and fuel gauge did not move during the application of power. Both maintenance drains were opened with no fuel indicated, and no damage was noted to the fuel system from the engine to the firewall. Opening the push drain, located on the left side of the belly at the lowest point in the fuel system at the current aircraft attitude indicated fuel. Minimal fuel was drained and checked for contamination with no discrepancies noted. The ground below the aircraft showed no indication of fuel seepage.

The pilot advised that the accident flight originated with approx. 16 gallons of fuel. He performed 4-5 touch-and-goes at madison (kims), then flew west toward klou, flying farther west than planned due to clouds and depleting the aircraft of fuel causing a loss of power, and made an off-field landing in a corn field. The total flight time was approx. 1.6 hours.

As the FAA filed it

A DIAMOND AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES DA20-C1 AIRCRAFT CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORNFIELD 3.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SELLERSBURG (KJVY) ON 07/06/2023 AT 08:24 LOCAL TIME (1224Z), WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

NO VISIBLE FUEL WAS NOTED DURING INVESTIGATION AND FUEL GAUGE DID NOT MOVE DURING THE APPLICATION OF POWER. BOTH MAINTENANCE DRAINS WERE OPENED WITH NO FUEL INDICATED, AND NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM THE ENGINE TO THE FIREWALL. OPENING THE PUSH DRAIN, LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BELLY AT THE LOWEST POINT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AT THE CURRENT AIRCRAFT ATTITUDE INDICATED FUEL. MINIMAL FUEL WAS DRAINED AND CHECKED FOR CONTAMINATION WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE GROUND BELOW THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO INDICATION OF FUEL SEEPAGE.

THE PILOT ADVISED THAT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT ORIGINATED WITH APPROX. 16 GALLONS OF FUEL. HE PERFORMED 4-5 TOUCH-AND-GOES AT MADISON (KIMS), THEN FLEW WEST TOWARD KLOU, FLYING FARTHER WEST THAN PLANNED DUE TO CLOUDS AND DEPLETING THE AIRCRAFT OF FUEL CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER, AND MADE AN OFF-FIELD LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. THE TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS APPROX. 1.6 HOURS.

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 CEN23LA281Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportJeffersonville, INThe pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.Jul 6, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N988CT · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20050927023309IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Provo, UT(-23) After landing at a tower controlled airport the tower instructed the student pilot to roll out to the end of the runway and exit on the taxiway to left at the end of the runway. Student pilot was taxiing too fast to safely make the 90 degree turn off…Sep 27, 2005 · Minor damage