# NTSB CEN22LA110: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, N974DA, Fort Carson, CO, January 25, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: January 25, 2022, 07:28 local (14:28 UTC)
- Place: Fort Carson, CO
- Coordinates: 38.672946, -104.7501 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6729&lon=-104.7501&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Windshear or thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104571
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA110
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104571/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104571
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA110

## Probable cause

The windshear encounter on short final approach, which resulted in an excessive decent rate and ground impact.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md)
- [Knowledge: knowledge of meteorologic cond](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Instructor/check pilot; cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 30 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032020/cases.md)
- [Planning/preparation: weather planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot; cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 156 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md)
- [Wind: windshear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 90 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020/cases.md)
- [Wind: windshear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 90 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Approach-VFR pattern final: Windshear or thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390) (defining event); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 224 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390/sequence.md)
- [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 252 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The flight instructor reported that he and the student pilot were conducting touch-and-go landings. As the pilot turned from base to final, a “fairly significant crosswind” that had shifted while they were in the traffic pattern, pushed the airplane left of the runway centerline. After realigning the airplane with the extended runway centerline, right aileron and “nearly full left rudder deflection” were required to stay on course. When the airplane was on short final, about 200 ft agl, it encountered windshear and descended rapidly impacting the ground about 200 ft short of the runway threshold. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that he took control of the airplane to initiate a go-around but was unable to arrest the descent before ground impact. About the time of the accident, the student pilot was landing on runway 31 with wind from 360o at 9 knots.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N974DA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N974DA-2022-07-06), registration cancelled 2022-07-06, S/N C0484, built 2008 (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 IO-240-B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-240-b) (registry code 17177, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: C0484
- Year built: 2008
- Airframe hours: 8371.3
- Engines: Continental Motors IO-240-B32B 125 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Cae-Doss
- Registered owner: L3 Doss Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, November 5, 2021
- Departed: KPUB, Pueblo, CO
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: FCS, Butts Aaf (Fort Carson), runway 31, 4,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 12, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 3,744 total, 1,036 in this make and model, 2,732 as pilot in command
- Student pilot; age 32; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 31 total, 18 in this make and model, 4 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 20° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 27 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observed at: KFCS
- METAR: KFCS 251439Z 02017G22KT 10SM SCT034 M03/M08 A2997 RMK SLP199 $

## 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 20220125000829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220125000829A), Jan 25, 2022: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA20-C1, Ft Carson, CO, Substantial damage. On January 25, 2022 iic smith received a call that N974DA, a DA-20 had landed short of and left of the runway at kfcs. There were no injuries. The aircraft…

## Docket (6 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 9, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104571. 4.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 884 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13190172&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=-%206120%20-%20Operator%20(esign)_Redacted2-Rel.pdf
- Correspondence - flight instructor (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13188659&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20--%20Michael%20Rimsky%20--%2028Jan2022-Rel.pdf
- Correspondence - FAA inspector (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 125 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13189096&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20-%20FAA%20CFI%20summary-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 243 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13202292&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20email_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 265 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13187392&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf
- FAA wind shear document (item 6, PDF, 10 pages, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13188716&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=faa%20p-8740-40%20windshear%20doc-Rel.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.

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