- Date
- June 5, 2024, 15:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Southampton Township, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N208DBDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240605006549A
- Case key
- 194404
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a low approach and subsequent go-around in turbulent wind conditions.
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 receiving instruction and flight instructor were on an instructional flight. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at a small private airport, the flight instructor reduced the engine power to simulate a loss of engine power. The pilot described that the wind was “howling” and that there were tall trees along the approach path to the runway. The flight instructor offered to demonstrate the simulated approach to landing and go-around. The flight instructor reported that during the approach there was some turbulence, and he was monitoring the airplane’s airspeed closely. After clearing the trees, while about 30 to 50ft above the runway, the airplane’s nose suddenly pitched down and the sink rate increased. He applied full power to go around but could not arrest the descent before drifting to the right of the runway and contacting the ground hard. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane’s engine mounts were substantially damaged. Both pilots reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N208DB
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0259
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 4,270.7
- Engine
- Continental Aerospace IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Freeflight Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 13, 2023 · 65.4 hours before
- Departed
- N14 · Vincentown, NJ
- Airport
- JY73 · Red Lion, runway 23, 2,880 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,805 total · 347 in this make and model · 5,706 as pilot in command · 55.5 in the last 90 days · 26.1 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Military, Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,579 total · 3.9 in this make and model · 5,956 as pilot in command · 3.9 in the last 90 days · 3.9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- VAY, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KVAY 051954Z AUTO 17008KT 150V210 10SM FEW034 BKN120 27/19 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP098 T02720194 $
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 32.4 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.