- Date
- April 25, 2009, 17:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Townsend, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N561CSDiamond DA20
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090425007889A
- Case key
- 73735
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 failure to maintain directional control during a landing roll with a crosswind. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.
Findings · 4
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 airplane impacted a tree as the pilot was performing an aborted landing during his second attempt to land on Runway 2. The pilot reported encountering turbulence while en route and on approach. The recorded wind at an airport located 19 nautical miles northwest of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was from 140 degrees at 8 knots. Runway 2 was 3,475 feet long, 41 feet wide, and was surrounded by trees. Winds at the airport were from the east at approximately 10 knots, as estimated by the pilot, and during the landing roll the airplane veered west of the runway centerline. The pilot applied right rudder; however, he was unable to correct for the drift. He subsequently added power to perform another aborted landing, but the airplane continued to track west and impacted a tree. The airplane received substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rear empennage sheared off from the fuselage. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. He reported 169 hours of total flight experience; of which, 3 hours were in the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted a tree as the pilot was performing an aborted landing during his second attempt to land on runway 2. The pilot reported encountering turbulence while enroute and on approach. The recorded wind at an airport located 19 nautical miles northwest of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was from 140 degrees at 8 knots. Runway 2 was 3,475 feet long, 41 feet wide, and was surrounded by trees. Winds at the airport were from the east at approximately 10 knots, as estimated by the pilot, and during the landing roll the airplane veered west of the runway centerline. The pilot applied right rudder; however, he was unable to correct for the drift. He subsequently added power to perform another aborted landing, but the airplane continued to track west and impacted a tree. The airplane received substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rear empennage sheared off from the fuselage. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. He reported 169 hours of total flight experience; of which, 3 hours were in the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N561CS
- Reported as
- Diamond DA20 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0002
- Airframe hours
- 4,478
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Savannah Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Fred Tanner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 16, 2009 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- SAV · Savannah, GA
- Destination
- 1GA0 · Townsend, GA
- Airport
- 1GA0 · Eagle Neck Airport, runway 02, 3,475 × 41 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 19, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 169 total · 3 in this make and model · 140 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- LHW, 19 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.