CEN12CA041

NTSB accident investigation · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1 · Pueblo, CO · October 24, 2011

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 24, 2011, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
Place
Pueblo, CO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N942DADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report February 6, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20111024024929A
Case key
82166

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 certified flight instructor’s delayed remedial action. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's failure to maintain control prior to the landing.

Findings · 2

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.

Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1: 6 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1: 37 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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

The student pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) were practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. While on the downwind leg in the traffic pattern, the CFI retarded the throttle to simulate an emergency. The student pilot continued the approach and initiated a forward slip to correct for an altitude deviation. He continued the slip until 25 feet above ground level, at which time he added power and initiated a go-around. The airplane started to roll to the left and, at 20 degrees, the CFI took control of the airplane. The CFI attempted to counter the roll, but the airplane was unresponsive, and he decided to land. The airplane impacted in a left-wing-low attitude. The empennage separated from the fuselage, and all four engine mounts were broken. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing touch-and-go landings on runway 26R. While on downwind, the flight instructor retarded the throttle to simulate an emergency. The student pilot continued to fly the airplane and during the landing flare, the airplane began to descend at a faster-than-normal rate. Both the student pilot and the flight instructor attempted to recover; however, the airplane impacted the ground in a left wing low attitude. The empennage separated from the fuselage, and all four engine mounts were broken. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Winds at the time of the accident were recorded as 240 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
N942DA
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
Category
Airplane
Serial number
C0442
Airframe hours
2,659
Engine
Cont Motor IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Public aircraft · Public use
Operator
Doss Aviation Inc
Registered owner
Doss Aviation Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · September 8, 2011
Departed
PUB · Pueblo, CO
Destination
PUB · Pueblo, CO
Airport
PUB · Pueblo Memorial Airport, runway 26R, 10,498 × 150 ft

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
49
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
July 26, 2011
Seat
Left
Flight hours
6,929 total · 190 in this make and model · 190 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot
Age
19
Injuries
None
Certificate
Student
Medical
Unknown
Seat
Right
Flight hours
0 total · 0 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
240° at 14 knots, gusting 21
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 21 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
KPUB

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 881 KB 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.