GAA18CA288

NTSB accident investigation · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 · Marlborough, MA · May 20, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 20, 2018, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
Place
Marlborough, MA
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N143RDDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 24, 2018
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20180520005679A
Case key
97288

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 improper decision to land on a runway that was too short for a safe landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control in tailwind conditions.

Findings · 6

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 DA 40: 11 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Wind: tailwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40: 2 casesAll aircraft: 594 cases
Object/animal/substance: fence/fence postEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40: 1 caseAll aircraft: 313 cases

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, during landing, the airplane touched down in the first third of the 1,659-ft-long runway, but the airplane did not seem to slow as normal with the brakes applied. He pumped the brakes, but the deceleration was "less than expected." He considered performing a go around but decided to use maximum braking instead. With maximum braking applied, the airplane veered off the runway to the right and impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He further reported that, following the accident, he inspected the runway and found solid skid marks from the right tire and broken skid marks from the left tire. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was light and variable and predominately from 280°. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles east of the accident airport reported that, about 19 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 220° at 12 knots. The airplane landed on runway 32. The calculated landing roll with full flaps was 930 ft, and the landing distance over a 50-ft obstacle was 2,020 ft. The manufacturer stated that "For a safe landing the landing distance available (LDA) should be at least equal to the landing distance of a 50 ft (15m) obstacle."

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane touched down in the first third of the 1,659 ft long runway, but the airplane did not seem to slow as normal with the brakes applied. He pumped the brakes, but the deceleration was "less than expected". He considered performing a go around but decided to use maximum braking instead. With maximum brake applied, the airplane veered off the runway to the right and impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He further reported that, following the accident, he inspected the runway and found solid skid marks from the right tire and broken skid marks from the left tire. The pilot reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was light and variable, and predominately from 280°. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles to the east of the accident airport reported that, about 19 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 220° at 12 knots. The airplane landed on runway 32. The calculated landing roll with full flaps was 930 ft and the landing distance over a 50 ft obstacle was 2,020 ft. The manufacturer states that: "For a safe landing the landing distance available (LDA) should be at least equal to the landing distance of a 50 ft (15m) obstacle."

Aircraft

Registration
N143RD
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 (UNDESIGNAT)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
40.657
Built
2006
Airframe hours
2,176.1
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-M1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · December 18, 2017
Departed
FWN · Sussex, NJ
Destination
9B1 · Marlborough, MA
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
9B1 · Marlboro, runway 32, 1,659 × 45 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction 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
51
Injuries
None
Certificates
Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Waiver time limited special
Last flight review
September 9, 2017
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
15,129 total · 165 in this make and model · 2,979 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
220° at 12 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,400 ft broken
Temperature
77 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
29.82 inHg
Observed at
KBED, 12 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.5 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.