20250919016949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 · Terre Haute, IN · September 19, 2025

Date: September 19, 2025 · 13:56 local
Place: Terre Haute, IN
Airport: Terre Haute Regional
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N544KC
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN25LA392
Reported as: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1
Reported engine: Continental IO-240-B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 356 total

N544KCRegistered now · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1S/N C0544 · Built 2009 Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 Engine modelContinental IO-240-BReciprocating

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.

On 09/19/2025 at approximately 1:56PM EDT, student pilot and certificated flight instructor (CFI) completed a pre-flight check including verifying the nut and cotter pin for the nose wheel assembly at Terre Haute Regional Airport, IN. Both pilots stated the taxi and take off were normal. Neither pilot was aware of the nose wheel departure until they were notified one was found on the runway and completed a pass of the tower for verification. The CFI took control of the aircraft while the student looked for an appropiate checklist. None was found. It was determined to use soft field landing procedures to keep the nose off the ground as long as possible. Upon landing, the nose wheel strut slid along the pavement and caught a seam in the pavement causing the damage.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/19/2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:56PM EDT, STUDENT PILOT AND CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) COMPLETED A PRE-FLIGHT CHECK INCLUDING VERIFYING THE NUT AND COTTER PIN FOR THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY AT TERRE HAUTE REGIONAL AIRPORT, IN. BOTH PILOTS STATED THE TAXI AND TAKE OFF WERE NORMAL. NEITHER PILOT WAS AWARE OF THE NOSE WHEEL DEPARTURE UNTIL THEY WERE NOTIFIED ONE WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY AND COMPLETED A PASS OF THE TOWER FOR VERIFICATION. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE STUDENT LOOKED FOR AN APPROPIATE CHECKLIST. NONE WAS FOUND. IT WAS DETERMINED TO USE SOFT FIELD LANDING PROCEDURES TO KEEP THE NOSE OFF THE GROUND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. UPON LANDING, THE NOSE WHEEL STRUT SLID ALONG THE PAVEMENT AND CAUGHT A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT CAUSING THE DAMAGE.

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 CEN25LA392Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTerre Haute, INThe failure of the nose landing gear strut and associated nosewheel separation during takeoff.Sep 19, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N544KC · 1

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

Incident 20200925016459ITakeoff: Departure Roll · Terre Haute, INOn September 25, 2020, at approximately 2:30PM (EST), an instructor and student were conducting a dual, local instrument lesson flight under CFR part 141. The instructor explained that after they achieved full power for their initial takeoff roll on runway…Sep 25, 2020 · No damage