20230723013089I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 · Brandy Station, VA · July 23, 2023

Date
July 23, 2023 · 17:15 local
Place
Brandy Station, VA
Airport
Culpeper Regional
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N205BL
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1
Reported engine
Continental IO-240 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
50 total40 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

At approximately 17:15L EDT, solo student pilot was practicing soft field takeoff on hard surface dry runway. Weather was VMC with steady state 5 kt quartering crosswind from left (crosswind component calc 4 KTS). Pilot had made two takeoffs prior to incident at two different airfields with no adverse observations or airplane reactions. During the incident takeoff pilot intended to practice soft field takeoff a second time. Pilot applied full back pressure on control stick, moved onto centerline and applied full power and right rudder. At this time the airplane drifted suddenly to the left. Pilot attempted correction with additional application of right rudder but was unable to control left turn. Airplane departed runway surface onto adjacent grass, crossed concrete drainage ditch with resultant prop strike, and came to a stop. Pilot was not injured, secured airplane and notified CFI and FAA.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 17:15L EDT, SOLO STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF ON HARD SURFACE DRY RUNWAY. WEATHER WAS VMC WITH STEADY STATE 5 KT QUARTERING CROSSWIND FROM LEFT (CROSSWIND COMPONENT CALC 4 KTS). PILOT HAD MADE TWO TAKEOFFS PRIOR TO INCIDENT AT TWO DIFFERENT AIRFIELDS WITH NO ADVERSE OBSERVATIONS OR AIRPLANE REACTIONS. DURING THE INCIDENT TAKEOFF PILOT INTENDED TO PRACTICE SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF A SECOND TIME. PILOT APPLIED FULL BACK PRESSURE ON CONTROL STICK, MOVED ONTO CENTERLINE AND APPLIED FULL POWER AND RIGHT RUDDER. AT THIS TIME THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED SUDDENLY TO THE LEFT. PILOT ATTEMPTED CORRECTION WITH ADDITIONAL APPLICATION OF RIGHT RUDDER BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL LEFT TURN. AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY SURFACE ONTO ADJACENT GRASS, CROSSED CONCRETE DRAINAGE DITCH WITH RESULTANT PROP STRIKE, AND CAME TO A STOP. PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, SECURED AIRPLANE AND NOTIFIED CFI AND FAA.