- Date
- August 7, 2019, 08:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Pueblo, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N979DADiamond DA20
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190807013469A
- Case key
- 100036
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 failure to maintain the runway heading during an attempted aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion onto rough 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, after being endorsed for his first solo flight, he conducted three approaches and landings. During the third approach, the airplane's nose yawed right, and he applied left rudder to correct but was unsuccessful. When the airplane was about 15 ft above ground level, the student aborted the landing and applied full engine power, but the airplane continued to descend while yawing right. The airplane landed on the runway with the nose oriented right of the runway heading, exited the runway, encountered rough terrain, and then stopped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail and empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that, after being endorsed for his first solo flight, he made three approaches and three landings. During the third approach, the nose of the airplane yawed to the right, and he applied left rudder to correct the right yaw but was unsuccessful. About 15ft AGL, the pilot aborted the landing and applied full engine power but, "The aircraft jerked and continued to descend with right yaw." The airplane landed on the runway with the nose of the airplane oriented to the right of the runway heading. The airplane exited the right side of the runway and stopped after encountering the rough terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail and empennage. The METAR at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 4 knots. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N979DA
- Reported as
- Diamond DA20 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0486
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 6,528.9
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Doss Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Doss Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 2, 2019
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Airport
- PUB · Pueblo Memorial, runway 08L, 4,690 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 18.3 total · 17.7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KPUB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2019, 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.