- Date
- March 21, 2008, 17:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Pueblo, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N954DADiamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-C1
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080321014109A
- Case key
- 67707
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 failure of the student pilot, and then the flight instructor to maintain aircraft control during the landing. Contributing factors were the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, and the crosswind conditions.
Findings · 5
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
Prior to the initial approach, the tower reported the wind was from 280 degrees at 22 knots. During the final approach to runway 26L, the airplane encountered gusty crosswind conditions. Approximately 15 to 20 above ground level with the student pilot at the airplane controls, the airplane nose was 20 degrees to the right and the wings were level. At that time, the flight instructor took over control of the airplane and applied control inputs to correct for the crosswind. The airplane continued to the right and descended "with no response to my inputs." The instructor then applied full power and attempted a go-around. The airplane "lightly" touched down on the runway, however, continued to the right side of the runway surface and contacted rising terrain. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated and the airplane came to rest upright off the runway.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor and student pilot, they were landing the airplane on runway 26L. Prior to the initial approach, the tower reported the wind was from 280 degrees at 22 knots. During the final approach, the airplane encountered gusty crosswind conditions. Approximately 15 to 20 feet above ground level with the student pilot at the airplane controls, the airplane nose was 20 degrees to the right and the wings were level. At that time, the flight instructor took over control of the airplane and applied control inputs to correct for the crosswind. The airplane continued to the right and descended "with no response to my inputs." The instructor then applied full power and attempted a go-around. The airplane "lightly" touched down on the runway, however, continued to the right side of the runway surface and contacted rising terrain. Subsequently, the left main landing gear separated and the airplane came to rest upright off the runway. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The left wing composite structure was fractured in several areas near the main landing gear attach points. No anomalies were noted with the airframe and engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N954DA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0450
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B17, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Doss Aviation IFS
- Registered owner
- Doss Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CO80 · Fowler, CO
- Destination
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PUB · Pueblo Memorial, runway 26L, 3,767 × 75 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 808 total · 66 in this make and model · 80 in the last 90 days · 63 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 22 knots
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- pub
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.