# NTSB CEN14LA267: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, N206ND, Longmont, CO, June 1, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 1, 2014, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Longmont, CO - Coordinates: 40.16909, -105.209907 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1691&lon=-105.2099&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 27, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - NTSB case key (mKey): 89327 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA267 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89327/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89327 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA267 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Prior to flight: Aircraft servicing event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/020/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the engine lost all power after the airplane took off and climbed to about 400 feet. He then made a forced landing to a field adjacent to the airport. The airplane struck the ground nose first and skidded about 150 feet before coming to a stop; the nose gear was sheared off. During a postaccident examination of the airplane, only a few drops of fuel were recovered from the wing and gascolator fuel drains; no fuel could be seen in either tank. The pilot noted that fuel had been leaking from the tanks for three days before the examination. However, even if minimal fuel had been present during the accident flight, more than a few drops should have drained out of the gascolator drain. Had the pilot done a thorough preflight inspection, he should have noted the lack of fuel in the tanks. ## Factual narrative On June 1, 2014, about 0915 mountain daylight time, a Diamond DA 20-C1, N206ND, collided with terrain after the engine lost power near Longmont, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was originating when the accident occurred. In a telephone interview, the pilot said the airplane had just come out of an annual inspection and his mechanic had performed a post-maintenance engine functional test up to full power. All systems operated normally and the engine performed well. The accident flight was a test flight after the annual inspection. The pilot said prior to takeoff, he also ran the engine up to full power. No anomalies were noted. The pilot took off and after climbing to about 400 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing in a field adjacent to the airport. The airplane struck the ground nose first, shearing off the nose gear, and skidded about 150 feet before coming to a stop. The empennage was separated from the fuselage. On June 4, three Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the airplane in the presence of the pilot. According to the lead inspector, the airplane was equipped with two fuel drains --- one for the fuel tank and one for the gascolator. Only a few drops of fuel were recovered from each drain. No fuel could be seen in the fuel tank. The pilot said fuel had been leaking from the fuel tank for three days before the FAA inspectors arrived. According to the FAA inspector's report, if there had been minimal fuel aboard the airplane, fuel greater than a few drops would have drained out of the gascolator drain during the examination. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N206ND](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N206ND-2021-10-02), registration cancelled 2021-10-02, S/N C0020, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA20-C1 - Registry model: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1](https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da20-c1) (registry code 2990001) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: C0020 - Year built: 1998 - Engines: Continental IO-240-B 125 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Kosair Inc - Registered owner: Kosair Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility - Departed: KLMO, Longmont, CO - Destination: KLMO, Longmont, CO - Airport: KLMO, Vance Brand, runway 29, 4,799 × 75 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 73; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2013; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,400 total, 700 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: KLMO ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140601007749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140601007749A), Jun 1, 2014: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 20-C1, Longmont, CO, Substantial damage. On June 1, 2014 at 0915 hours mountain standard time (MST), N206ND, sn# 0020, a Diamond aircraft DA-20-C1 aircraft sustained substantial damaged during an… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89327. 6.4 MB in all. - Record of Conversation (item 1, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415226&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 333 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415227&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - Left Side of Airplane (item 3, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415228&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Left%20Side%20of%20Airplane-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Right Side of Airplane (item 4, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415229&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Right%20Side%20of%20Airplane-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Single-Point Refueling Port (item 5, .PDF, 393 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415230&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Single-Point%20Refueling%20Port-Master.PDF - Photo 4 - Fuel Tank and Gascolator Sumps (item 6, .PDF, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415231&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20Fuel%20Tank%20and%20Gascolator%20Sumps-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.