- Date
- August 11, 2009, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Rockingham, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N817PADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Charlotte FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090811048199A
- Case key
- 74517
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 on landing roll out.
Findings · 3
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 entered left closed traffic, completed the before landing check, and extended the flaps to 10 degrees. He turned the airplane on base, final, and lowered the flaps to the full down position with a right cross wind. The pilot flared the airplane about 30 feet above the runway numbers and touched down on the runway. The airplane started to veer to the left and the pilot stated that he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane went off the left side of the runway striking a runway light, continued into the grass, and collided with an embankment, receiving structural damage to the airframe. The pilot stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot entered left closed traffic, completed the before landing check, and extended the flaps to 10 degrees. He turned the airplane on base, final, and lowered the flaps to the full down position with a right cross wind. The pilot flared the airplane about 30 feet above the runway numbers and touched down on the runway. The airplane started to veer to the left and the pilot stated he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane went off the left side of the runway striking a runway light, continued into the grass, and collided with an embankment, receiving structural damage to the airframe. The pilot stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N817PA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.817
- Airframe hours
- 849
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-MIA+, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paramount Flight Services
- Registered owner
- Air Link Properties LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 2009 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- RCZ · Rockingham, NC
- Destination
- RCZ · Rockingham, NC
- Airport
- RCZ · Richmond County Airport, runway 31, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 571 total · 36 in this make and model · 499 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- RCZ
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.