- Date
- September 19, 2015, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N635DCDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 C1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150919018849A
- Case key
- 92040
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 pilots failure to maintain a climb after takeoff, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
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 student pilot reported that during a solo soft field takeoff the tail of the airplane impacted the ground. He lowered the nose, and as the airspeed increased initiated rotation After liftoff, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway, descended, and impacted the bottom of a ditch. The airplane came to a stop in a ramp parking area. The student pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during a solo soft field takeoff the tail of the airplane impacted the ground. He lowered the nose, and as the airspeed increased initiated rotation After liftoff, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway, descended, and impacted the bottom of a ditch. The airplane came to a stop in a ramp parking area. The student pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N635DC
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 C1 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0135
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 3,181.7
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dillions Aviation
- Registered owner
- Poole Timothy F Jr/ Poole Karen A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 28, 2015
- Departed
- TTA · Sanford, NC
- Destination
- TTA · Sanford, NC
- Airport
- TTA · Raleigh Exec Jetport At Sanfor, runway 03, 6,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 25 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KTTA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 27, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.