- 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.
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.