GAA17CA055

NTSB accident investigation · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 · Bristow, VA · October 31, 2016

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
October 30, 2016, 20:15 local (Oct 31, 2016, 00:15 UTC)
Place
Bristow, VA
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N781MADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20
Defining event
Landing: Abnormal runway contact
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report July 5, 2017
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20161030022739A
Case key
93688

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of directional control during a landing attempt at night, which resulted in a delayed go-around procedure and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent flight experience.

Findings · 5

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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1: 10 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Light condition: darkEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1: 1 caseAll aircraft: 448 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotDiamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1: 6 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause

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

According to the pilot, after multiple previous landings that night to runway 34L, the airplane was thrown "off course" after it encountered a crosswind. The pilot pulled the power off briefly during the landing, and the airplane touched down. However, he reported that he made a late decision to go around and reapplied the power to establish a climb. He added that the airplane was "off course" at a low airspeed and that he applied full power, but he panicked and reduced his right rudder application, and the airplane veered to the left. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground, the nose landing gear became embedded in the mud, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing root and empennage. According to the airport security camera video, the airplane descended over runway 34L and made an immediate sharp left 270° turn to the left of the runway heading and rapidly ascended. After the sharp left turn, the airplane was airborne for about 534 ft before impacting the ground and nosing over. White paint transfer markings observed on the runway surface and damage to the airplane's left wing indicated that the airplane had impacted the runway surface during the accident sequence. About 25 minutes before the accident, the published METAR for the accident airport reported that the wind was from 320° at 6 knots. There were no reported wind gusts at the time of the accident, and there were no published wind gusts at the airport for the remainder of the day. The pilot reported that he had 99 hours of total flight time, 78 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model, and 4 hours of which were within the 90 days before the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, after multiple previous landings that night to runway 34L, he reported that the airplane was thrown "off course" after it encountered a crosswind. The pilot pulled the power off briefly during the landing and the airplane touched down. However, he reported that he made a late decision to go-around and reapplied the power in hopes of establishing a climb. The airplane was "off course" at a low airspeed, and he applied full power; but he panicked and reduced his right rudder application and the airplane veered to the left. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground, the nose landing gear became imbedded in the mud and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing root, and empennage. According to the airport security camera video, the airplane descended over runway 34L, and made an immediate sharp left turn 270° to the left of the runway heading, and rapidly ascended. After the sharp left turn, the airplane was airborne for about 534 ft. before impacting the ground and nosing over. White paint transfer markings observed on the runway surface, and damage to the airplane's left wing indicated that the airplane had impacted the runway surface during the accident sequence. About 25 minutes prior to the accident, the published METAR for the accident airport reported that the wind was out of 320° true at 6 knots. There were no reported wind gusts at the time of the accident, and there were no published wind gusts at the airport for the remainder of the day. The pilot reported that he has 99 hours of total flight time, 78 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and a total of 4 hours of flight time within the last 90 days prior to the accident. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N781MA
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20 (C1)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
C0281
Built
2004
Airframe hours
3,318.5
Engine
Continential IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
Annual · June 2, 2016
Departed
CHO · Charlottesville, VA
Destination
HEF · Bristow, VA
Airport
HEF · Manassas Rgnl/Harry P Davis Fi, runway 34L, 3,715 × 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
Pilot
Age
35
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 9, 2015
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
99 total · 78 in this make and model · 57 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
320° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
11,000 ft broken
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 59 °F
Altimeter
29.94 inHg
Observed at
KHEF

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.7 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.