# NTSB CEN16LA018: Diamond DA20-C1, N165DC, Waskom, TX, October 12, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 12, 2015, 03:49 local (08:49 UTC) - Place: Waskom, TX - Coordinates: 32.520557, -94.307777 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5206&lon=-94.3078&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 1, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - NTSB case key (mKey): 92207 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN16LA018 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92207/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92207 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA018 ## Probable cause The pilot's decision to operate the airplane without the owner’s permission and his lack of preflight planning, which resulted a total loss of engine power due fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Intentional act: stolen/unauthorized](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051020): Personnel issues › Miscellaneous · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02051020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [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: [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: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in the airplane without the owner's permission. While en route, the pilot reported to air traffic controllers that the engine had lost power and that he did not think he would be able to glide to the destination airport. He also said that it was dark and that he could not see anything below him. The pilot made a forced landing in a field 6.9 miles east of his destination, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. No fuel was found in the fuel tanks. ## Factual narrative October 12, 2015, at 0349 central daylight time, the pilot of a Diamond DA20-C1, made a night forced landing after the engine lost power near Waskom, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered a private individual and was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Marshall (ASL), Texas, had flown to Shreveport, Louisiana, and was en route back to ASLThe pilot told air traffic controllers that the engine had lost power, and that he did not think he would be able to glide to the airport in Marshall. He also said it was dark and he could not see anything below him. The pilot made a forced landing about 6.9 miles east of ASL. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors examined the airplane and reported finding no fuel in the fuel tanks. The pilot, however, was adamant that he had fuel on board. The airplane reportedly had been taken without the owner's permission. The pilot was placed under arrest. ## Aircraft - Registration: N165DC (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: DIAMOND DA20-C1 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: C0265 - Year built: 2004 - Engines: Continental O-240-B 125 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Lari L. Gee - Registered owner: Lari L. Gee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 6, 2015, 2,973 hours before - Departed: KASL, Marshall, TX - Destination: KASL, Marshall, TX - Airport: KASL, Harrison County - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, unknown; seat: left; restraint: 3-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 190° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.81 inHg - Observed at: KASL, 7 nm away ## 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 20151012023159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151012023159A), Oct 12, 2015: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA20-C1, Marshall, TX, Substantial damage. Pilot and his girlfriend were at Harrison County Marshall TX airport where he had previously attended flight training. Pilot stated they were washing the… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92207. 746 KB in all. - Record of Telephone Conversation (item 1, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438802&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Telephone%20Conversation-Master.PDF - Google Earth image of Shreveport, Louisiana, Regional Airport and its proximity to the accident location in Waskom, Texas (item 2, .PDF, 326 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438803&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Google%20Earth%20image%20of%20Shreveport,%20Louisiana,%20Regional%20Airport%20and%20its%20proximity%20to%20the%20accident%20location%20in%20Waskom,%20Texas-Master.PDF - Google Earth Image of the Accident Location in Waskom, Texas, and its proximity to Harrison County Airport, Marshall, Texas (item 3, .PDF, 320 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438804&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Google%20Earth%20Image%20of%20the%20Accident%20Location%20in%20Waskom,%20Texas,%20and%20its%20proximity%20to%20Harrison%20County%20Airport,%20Marshall,%20Texas-Master.PDF - Weather Reports (item 4, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438805&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports-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.