- Date
- March 30, 2018, 15:46 local (22:46 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N53SLDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180330010409A
- Case key
- 96961
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’s failure to properly set the parking brake, which resulted in an impact with a pole.
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 reported that, after taxiing to the ramp, he set the parking brake. He added that he released the foot brake, the airplane rolled forward, and impacted a pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The flight safety officer reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that, after the accident, he verified proper operation of the parking brake.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, after taxiing to the ramp, he set the parking brake. He added that he released the foot brake, the airplane rolled forward, and impacted a pole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The Flight Safety Officer reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that, after the accident, he verified proper operation of the parking brake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53SL
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.519
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 3,062.2
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-M1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix Inc
- Registered owner
- K2 Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 29, 2018
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E63 · Gila Bend Muni
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 207 in this make and model · 89 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KBXK, 27 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.