- Date
- May 14, 2009, 12:11 local (17:11 UTC)
- Place
- Olathe, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N926AFDiamond DA20
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Diamond Aircraft, FAA Kansas City FSDO, Teledyne Continental Motors
- FAA report
- 20090514007959A
- Case key
- 73843
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper landing flare and recovery from a bounced landing, as well as his improper decision to continue the takeoff after striking the propeller on the runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a planned touch-and-go landing, the student pilot flared too high and the airplane landed hard, bounced, and the propeller struck the runway. The student pilot executed a go-around. During the climbout, at approximately 250 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The student pilot executed a straight-ahead forced landing, during which the airplane's right wing and horizontal stabilizer were separated. The airplane subsequently nosed over, coming to rest inverted in a tree line. The student pilot, who was trapped in the inverted airplane, was extracted 30 minutes later by emergency response crews; he sustained minor injuries. A serviceable propeller was later installed and the airplane's engine was successfully tested for over 20 minutes, including several minutes at full power.
Factual narrative
During a planned touch and go landing, the student pilot flared too high and the airplane landed hard, bounced, and the propeller struck the runway. The student pilot executed a go-around. During the climbout, at approximately 250 feet agl, the engine lost power. The student pilot executed a straight ahead forced landing, during which the airplane's right wing and horizontal stabilizer were separated. The airplane subsequently nosed over coming to rest inverted in a tree line. The student pilot, who was trapped in the inverted airplane, was extracted 30 minutes later by emergency response crews. He sustained minor injuries. A serviceable propeller was later installed and the airplane's engine was test run for over 20 minutes, including several minutes at full power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926AF
- Reported as
- Diamond DA20 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0183
- Airframe hours
- 3,561
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B3B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kansas City Aviation Center Inc
- Registered owner
- Kansas City Aviation Center Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 2009 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- KOJC · Olathe, KS
- Destination
- KOJC · Olathe, KS
- Airport
- KOJC · Johnson County Airport, runway 18, 4,099 × 75 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 214 total · 10 in this make and model · 45 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KOJC, 2 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.