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20240321003029A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG · Coolidge, AZ · March 21, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 21, 2024 · 10:00 local
Place
Coolidge, AZ
Airport
Coolidge Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N755LA
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR24LA116
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
Reported engine
AUSTRO E4-A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
11,471 total425 in this make and model72 in the last 90 days
N755LARegistered now · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NGS/N 40.NC220 · Built 2023Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NGEngine modelAustro E4-AReciprocating

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.

Normal traffic pattern operations were used for runway 5. The base to final turn was stable, airspeed normal approach speed of 75 knots. Flaps selected to landing position on half mile final. Airspeed was 70 knots over the threshold. Student leveled the aircraft slightly high for a normal landing. Instructor instructed the student to lower nose and add power to correct for slow airspeed. Student corrected to a normal landing attitude and began a normal flare for landing. A wind gust from behind and from the right caused the aircraft to drift to the left of centerline. Student corrected with positive pitch and right roll control allowing the airspeed to decrease. The aircraft began to sink towards the runway with the right wing down allowing it to strike the runway surface. The right main landing gear contacted the runway bouncing the aircraft back into the air. The instructor took control of the aircraft after the wing struck the runway gaining control and bringing the aircraft to a stop to taxi to the ramp for inspection.

As the FAA filed it

NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS WERE USED FOR RUNWAY 5. THE BASE TO FINAL TURN WAS STABLE, AIRSPEED NORMAL APPROACH SPEED OF 75 KNOTS. FLAPS SELECTED TO LANDING POSITION ON HALF MILE FINAL. AIRSPEED WAS 70 KNOTS OVER THE THRESHOLD. STUDENT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY HIGH FOR A NORMAL LANDING. INSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO LOWER NOSE AND ADD POWER TO CORRECT FOR SLOW AIRSPEED. STUDENT CORRECTED TO A NORMAL LANDING ATTITUDE AND BEGAN A NORMAL FLARE FOR LANDING. A WIND GUST FROM BEHIND AND FROM THE RIGHT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE. STUDENT CORRECTED WITH POSITIVE PITCH AND RIGHT ROLL CONTROL ALLOWING THE AIRSPEED TO DECREASE. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SINK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY WITH THE RIGHT WING DOWN ALLOWING IT TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY BOUNCING THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO THE AIR. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY GAINING CONTROL AND BRINGING THE AIRCRAFT TO A STOP TO TAXI TO THE RAMP FOR INSPECTION.

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 WPR24LA116Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCoolidge, AZThe student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing in gusty wind conditions. Contributing, was the failure of the flight instructor to intervene in a timely manner.Mar 21, 2024 · Substantial damage