- Date
- February 21, 2021, 11:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Indianapolis, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N465USDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210221000929A
- Case key
- 102662
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 pilot’s improper landing flare that resulted in a bounced touch and go landing and subsequent nose wheel separation.
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 pilot flew to a local airport to practice touch and go landings, entered the traffic pattern, and landed on the active runway. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced. The pilot added power and recalled that the nose jumped up slightly during the climb. The pilot continued to his destination. During the landing, when the nose touched the runway surface, the pilot heard a “scraping” sound. After the airplane came to a complete stop, the two occupants exited the airplane uninjured. Examination of the airplane revealed that the wheel of the nose landing gear was missing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the composite firewall. The missing wheel was later located at the previous airport where the pilot had performed the bounced touch and go landing. Examination of the wheel and tire assembly did not reveal any pre-existing anomalies. It is likely that the nose wheel assembly separated from the airplane during the bounced landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N465US
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0405
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 4,289
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sweet Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Sweet Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 18, 2020
- Departed
- SMD · Fort Wayne, IN
- Airport
- UMP · Indianapolis Metro, runway 15, 4,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 6 in this make and model · 37 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYQ, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KTYQ 211615Z AUTO 15009KT 10SM CLR M02/M07 A3031 RMK AO2 T10161067
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.6 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.
Other investigations on N465US · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.