- Date
- April 1, 2020, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Coast, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N311ERDiamond DA42
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200401003869A
- Case key
- 101139
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 receiving instruction’s failure to maintain airplane control during a simulated engine failure landing and subsequent attempted go-around in gusting crosswind conditions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 6
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 flight instructor reported that the pilot receiving instruction was practicing a simulated single-engine failure to a landing in the multiengine airplane. The left engine was set to about 12% power, simulating a feathered propeller engine failure. While on final approach to land, the airplane started to drift right of the runway, and the pilot receiving instruction reported that he was having difficulty controlling the airplane due to strong prevailing winds. The instructor reported that he told the pilot receiving instruction to use more left rudder, but the airplane continued to drift right. The pilot receiving instruction decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around by advancing both engines to full power. During the go-around, the airplane drifted left and then the instructor took the flight controls and applied full right rudder. The airplane continued drifting left, descended, and impacted vegetation, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and empennage. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A crosswind component of between 6 and 10 knots existed.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor of the multi-engine airplane reported that, the student pilot was practicing a simulated in-flight engine failure to a landing. The left engine's was set to about 12% power, simulating a feathered propeller engine failure. While on finial approach to land, the airplane started to drift to the right of the runway, and the student pilot reported that he was having difficulty controlling the airplane during the single engine approach due to the strong wind that prevailed. The instructor reported that he told the student to use more left rudder, but the airplane continued to drift right. The student decided to abort the landing and initiated a go-around by advancing both engines to full power. During the go-around, the airplane drifted to left, the instructor took the flight controls and applied full right rudder. The airplane continued drifting to the left, descended, impacted vegetation, and the landing gear collapsed. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and empennage. At the time of the accident a wind from 40 degrees right of the runway centerline at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots prevailed. The calculated crosswind component was from the right at between 6 and 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N311ER
- Reported as
- Diamond DA42 (NG)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42.N212
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 2,271.1
- Engines
- Austro Engine e4-c-00-000-0, 165 horsepower, reciprocatingAustro Engine e4-c-00-000-0, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Registered owner
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 5, 2020
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- FIN · Palm Coast, FL
- Airport
- FIN · Flagler Executive, runway 29, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,439 total · 584 in this make and model · 1,311 as pilot in command · 199 in the last 90 days · 69 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 4, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 235 total · 16 in this make and model · 162 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- FIN
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 17, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.