20260904011129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG · Leesburg, FL · September 4, 2026

Date
September 4, 2026 · 08:20 local
Place
Leesburg, FL
Airport
Leesburg International
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N686MF
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA26LA330
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
292 total55 in this make and model55 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.

Pilot statement: departed korl at 7:10 for a VFR departure to the nw, planning to stay in the pattern at klee for touch and goes. We entered the pattern following all proper procedures and completed four laps before the final approach where the accident occurred. Student had performed two go-arounds with minimal help from me besides a verbal reminder, and 2 landings that were flat with minimal flare upon entering ground effect. On the final approach we were established on a proper glide slope .5 NM from the aer and started to sink, going below the proper glide slope. Student added power but continued to descend instead of arresting the descent and re establishing the proper glide slope. Coming over the numbers I advised to take out power since our landing was ensured, we were on the centerline and at 71 KTS indicated. Student came in flat again and bounced the plane with enough force that we ballooned back up into the air veering off to the right of centerline. I stated that we needed to go around and cram full power, student put 30-50% power in at first before I stated again that we need full power and by that point we were veering off of centerline to the right with full power but not enough airpseed to get us airborne. The bounce that caused us to be airborne prevented the use of rudders to realign ourselves with centerline leading to the plane running off the right of the runway, catching a bump that got us momentarily airborne again but ultimately not enough energy to keep us airborne and going nose first into the ground 20-30 feet off of the side of the runway facing the aer 13. Upon coming to a stop we shut off all systems, took the keys out and stepped away from the plane as efficiently as possible. EMS made us check vitals and both the student and I were deemed to be unharmed. I inspector henderson arrived on scene at 1100. I interviewed the pilots in the FBO. Pilot verbal statement matches written statement. Went out to the accident site and documented the scene.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATEMENT: DEPARTED KORL AT 7:10 FOR A VFR DEPARTURE TO THE NW, PLANNING TO STAY IN THE PATTERN AT KLEE FOR TOUCH AND GOES. WE ENTERED THE PATTERN FOLLOWING ALL PROPER PROCEDURES AND COMPLETED FOUR LAPS BEFORE THE FINAL APPROACH WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. STUDENT HAD PERFORMED TWO GO-AROUNDS WITH MINIMAL HELP FROM ME BESIDES A VERBAL REMINDER, AND 2 LANDINGS THAT WERE FLAT WITH MINIMAL FLARE UPON ENTERING GROUND EFFECT. ON THE FINAL APPROACH WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON A PROPER GLIDE SLOPE .5 NM FROM THE AER AND STARTED TO SINK, GOING BELOW THE PROPER GLIDE SLOPE. STUDENT ADDED POWER BUT CONTINUED TO DESCEND INSTEAD OF ARRESTING THE DESCENT AND RE ESTABLISHING THE PROPER GLIDE SLOPE. COMING OVER THE NUMBERS I ADVISED TO TAKE OUT POWER SINCE OUR LANDING WAS ENSURED, WE WERE ON THE CENTERLINE AND AT 71 KTS INDICATED. STUDENT CAME IN FLAT AGAIN AND BOUNCED THE PLANE WITH ENOUGH FORCE THAT WE BALLOONED BACK UP INTO THE AIR VEERING OFF TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. I STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO GO AROUND AND CRAM FULL POWER, STUDENT PUT 30-50% POWER IN AT FIRST BEFORE I STATED AGAIN THAT WE NEED FULL POWER AND BY THAT POINT WE WERE VEERING OFF OF CENTERLINE TO THE RIGHT WITH FULL POWER BUT NOT ENOUGH AIRPSEED TO GET US AIRBORNE. THE BOUNCE THAT CAUSED US TO BE AIRBORNE PREVENTED THE USE OF RUDDERS TO REALIGN OURSELVES WITH CENTERLINE LEADING TO THE PLANE RUNNING OFF THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY, CATCHING A BUMP THAT GOT US MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE AGAIN BUT ULTIMATELY NOT ENOUGH ENERGY TO KEEP US AIRBORNE AND GOING NOSE FIRST INTO THE GROUND 20-30 FEET OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY FACING THE AER 13. UPON COMING TO A STOP WE SHUT OFF ALL SYSTEMS, TOOK THE KEYS OUT AND STEPPED AWAY FROM THE PLANE AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. EMS MADE US CHECK VITALS AND BOTH THE STUDENT AND I WERE DEEMED TO BE UNHARMED. I INSPECTOR HENDERSON ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1100. I INTERVIEWED THE PILOTS IN THE FBO. PILOT VERBAL STATEMENT MATCHES WRITTEN STATEMENT. WENT OUT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND DOCUMENTED THE SCENE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.