- Date
- June 24, 2015, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Salisbury, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N577MADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 C1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150624009709A
- Case key
- 91483
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 student pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot reported that the high-wing airplane in which she had received her initial flight training had been sold, and she had transitioned to the low-wing (accident) airplane. She stated that she acquired 5.9 hours of flight training in the low-wing airplane before she was authorized to solo in that airplane. During the accident landing, she reported that, "My final approach speed was a little higher than recommended and the nose of the plane was pointed slightly left of the centerline upon landing." During the landing roll, the pilot reported that she applied full back pressure and stepped on the brakes hard, but was unable to prevent the runway excursion. After departing the runway to the left, the airplane impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage structure. The student pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that the high-wing airplane in which she had received her initial flight training had been sold, and she had transitioned to the low-wing (accident) airplane. She stated that she acquired 5.9 hours of flight training in the low-wing airplane before she was authorized to solo in that airplane. During the accident landing, she reported that, "My final approach speed was a little higher than recommended and the nose of the plane was pointed slightly left of the centerline upon landing." During the landing roll, the pilot reported that she applied full back pressure and stepped on the brakes hard, but was unable to prevent the runway excursion. After departing the runway to the left, the airplane impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fiberglass fuselage structure. The student pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N577MA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 C1 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0277
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 2,812
- Engine
- Continental TCM IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 20, 2015
- Departed
- MTN · Baltimore, MD
- Destination
- SBY · Salisbury, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SBY · Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico, runway 32, 6,400 × 100 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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 44.5 total · 22.8 in this make and model · 5.9 in the last 90 days · 5.9 in the last 30 days · 2.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.