# Accident 20230823012929A: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA20-C1, Cedar Valley, UT, August 23, 2023 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 23, 2023, 07:05 local time - Place: Cedar Valley, UT - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.1140° N, 112.0621° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1140&lon=-112.0621&mi=10 - Aircraft: N989PA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N989PA) (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 series (registry code 17063, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-240-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA20-C1 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-240 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,350 total, 276 in this make and model, 58 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR23LA324](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA324) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230823012929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED AS A PART 91 TRAINING FLIGHT IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE STUDENT PILOT FOR THE PRIVATE PILOT ASEL PRACTICAL EXAM. DURING PREFLIGHT, THE STUDENT NOTED THE FUEL LEVEL AT APPROXIMATELY 18 GALLONS, WHICH COMPORTED WITH THE READINGS ON THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SPANISH FORK AT 6:30AM AFTER A NORMAL RUNUP WITH NO ENGINE ANOMALIES NOTED. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED WESTBOUND IN A CLIMB SIMULATING THE INITIAL LEGS OF A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT LEVELED AT AN INDICATED CRUISING ALTITUDE 8,500’ MSL. AFTER LEVELING OFF, THE STUDENT EXECUTED AN ENROUTE CHECKLIST WHICH INCLUDED LEANING FOR CRUISE. HE STATED THAT HE HAD LEANED TO 25F RICH OF PEAK RPM, AT WHICH TIME I NOTED THAT THE EGT GAUGE INDICATED SLIGHTLY OVER 1250F. TERMINATING THE SIMULATED CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, TRAINING CONTINUED WITH A SERIES OF CLEARING TURNS PRIOR TO EXECUTING SEVERAL STEEP TURNS. ALTITUDE REACHED 9,000 FT MSL OVER THE COURSE OF THESE MANEUVERS. THE NEXT TRAINING OBJECTIVE WAS GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A LOWER ALTITUDE. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO SIMULATE AN ENGINE FAILURE AND ASKED THE STUDENT TO DEMONSTRATE PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF ENGINE FAILURE. THE STUDENT HANDED THE INSTRUCTOR A CHECKLIST ASKING THE INSTRUCTOR TO REFERENCE THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WHILE THE STUDENT BEGAN TO TRIM THE AIRCRAFT FOR DESCENT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT HANDED HIM A CHECKLIST THAT HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH AND WAS DISTRACTED BY TRYING TO ORIENT HIMSELF WITH THE CHECKLIST. THE STUDENT PILOT ADVANCED THE MIXTURE. AS THE SIMULATION CONTINUED, THE INSTRUCTOR PROMPTED THE STUDENT TO DEMONSTRATE AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, SUCH AS MIGHT BE EXECUTED IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE FIRE. THIS LED TO A SHORT, DIVING TURN, APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES OF HEADING. THEREAFTER THEY CONTINUED WITH THE FORCED LANDING DRILL. AS THE SIMULATION CONTINUED AT ROUGHLY THE POINT OF THE “DOWNWIND TO BASE” TURN, OF THE STUDENT’S INTENDED LANDING POINT (ADSB REPORTS A PRESSURE ALTITUDE OF 5,700’ AT THIS POINT, GROUND IS APPROXIMATELY 4900’), THE INSTRUCTOR SUGGESTED “CLEARING” THE ENGINE BY ADVANCING THE THROTTLE. SOME ROUGHNESS WAS ENCOUNTERED AT THIS POINT, WHICH WAS ALLEVIATED WITH A SMALL DECREASE IN FUEL MIXTURE. WITH THE APPARENT AVAILABILITY OF ENGINE POWER, THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO RESUME THE SIMULATION INTO THE FINAL TURN. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FINAL TURN AND A RECITATION OF MEMORIZED FINAL ITEMS FOR AN OFF-FIELD LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE STUDENT TO TERMINATE THE SIMULATION. THE STUDENT ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AT A PACE WHICH I ESTIMATE WOULD HAVE REACHED A FULL THROTTLE SETTING IN 1.5 SECONDS. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT SETTING WAS REACHED. IT WAS CLEAR TO THE INSTRUCTOR, HOWEVER, THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE INCREASED THROTTLE SETTING. THE INSTRUCTOR REACHED DOWN AND FURTHER ADVANCED THE MIXTURE. JUDGING BY SOUND, THE INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED AT THIS TIME ALL ENGINE COMBUSTION CEASED. WITHIN 1-3 SECONDS, THE PROPELLER HAD STOPPED WINDMILLING. THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED, TO NO EFFECT, A RE-START USING THE STARTING SWITCH. HE THEN TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO MAKING A RIGHT TURN TOWARD AN ADJACENT AREA THAT HAD BEEN GRADED BY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED SHORTLY BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE INSTRUCTOR ESTIMATED THEY HAD SLOWED TO 40 KNOTS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A BERM OF VERY LOOSE EARTH WHICH WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE GRADED AREA. WITH NO APPARENT INJURIES, THEY CLOSED THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS THEN TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCHES AND OPENED THE CANOPY. ## 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 WPR23LA324](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA324), Aug 23, 2023: Diamond DA20 (N989PA), Fairfield, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight pilots improper fuel management, which resulted a total loss of engine power, and impact with terrain during an off-airport landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight… 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.