# NTSB CEN23LA281: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, N988CT, Jeffersonville, IN, July 6, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 6, 2023, 08:24 local (12:24 UTC) - Place: Jeffersonville, IN - Coordinates: 38.318108, -85.687989 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3181&lon=-85.6880&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - 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: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 192547 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA281 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/192547/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192547 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA281 ## Probable cause The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot; cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/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. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=2990001), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that, before the flight, he and his student inserted a calibrated wooden stick into the fuel tank to check the fuel quantity of the airplane and believed that it indicated just below ¾ tank, or about 16 gallons of fuel remaining. They completed the preflight inspection and proceeded with the flight to another airport for takeoff and landing practice. While at the other airport, they performed six circuits of the traffic pattern before proceeding back toward the departure airport. As they approached the airport, the flight instructor heard the engine speed decrease and initially thought his student had retarded the throttle, but she had not. The engine recovered briefly and then sputtered again. The flight instructor said he checked the mixture, master switch, ignition, and fuel pump settings, and the engine continued to have spurts of power. He surmised that they were experiencing a fuel issue and noted that the fuel gauge read empty. He notified air traffic control, and was cleared to land, but had insufficient altitude and executed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage including separation of the empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no usable fuel remained in the fuel tank. The flight instructor reported that he believed the time of day, weather conditions and lighting combined with an expectation bias, contributed to misreading of the fuel stick, which likely read below ½ tank before the flight. He also noted that he prepared a safety presentation about the event to present to flying club members and other aviation meetings. Based on the available information, the engine power loss was due to exhaustion of the airplane’s fuel supply. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N988CT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N988CT-2024-07-22), registration cancelled 2024-07-22, S/N C0088, built 1999 (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: C0088 - Year built: 1999 - Airframe hours: 9949 - Engines: Continental IO-240-B32B 125 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Flight Club 502 Inc - Registered owner: Flight Club 502 Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2023 - Departed: LOU, Louisville, KY - Destination: LOU, Louisville, KY - Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 940 total, 101 in this make and model, 869 as pilot in command, 167 in the last 90 days, 69 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 17; injuries: none; student; medical: unknown; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 16 total, 16 in this make and model, 16 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: KSDF, 9 nm away - METAR: KSDF 061256Z 25006KT 10SM FEW038 FEW080 FEW120 SCT180 BKN250 26/22 A2995 RMK AO2 CB DSNT E T02560217 ## 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 20230706010349A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230706010349A), Jul 6, 2023: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA20-C1, Jeffersonville, IN, Substantial damage. A Diamond aircraft industries DA20-C1 aircraft conducted an emergency landing in a cornfield 3.5 miles southeast of sellersburg (kjvy) on 07/06/2023 at 08:24… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=192547. 2.1 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16130454&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20scanned_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 102 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16131202&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N988CT%20FAA%20Inspector%20Accident%20Notes_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA interview of pilot (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 268 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16130464&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Interview%20of%20pilot_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photo (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 572 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16187318&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-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. --- 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.