- Date
- August 31, 2019, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Convington, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N98BZDiamond DA20
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190831014719A
- Case key
- 100202
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 improper pitch attitude during the takeoff climb, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and ground impact.
Findings · 4
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 flight instructor reported that he instructed his student to perform a soft-field takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the instructor had his hands on the flight controls while the student pilot released the yoke back pressure and the airplane began to climb, but the airplane's nose was too high. The flight instructor pushed forward on the control stick to correct the nose high attitude, "and the plane started to pull to the right." The flight instructor does not know whether the stall warning horn sounded, as the airplane flew over the right edge of the runway, but he does recall being on the flight controls when the airplane descended and impacted the grass safety area on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage composite structure. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he instructed his student to perform a soft-field takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the instructor had his hands on the flight controls while the student pilot released the yoke back pressure and the airplane began to climb, but the airplane's nose was too high. The flight instructor pushed forward on the control stick to correct the nose high attitude, "and the plane started to pull to the right." The flight instructor does not know whether the stall warning horn sounded, as the airplane flew over the right edge of the runway, but he does recall being on the flight controls when the airplane descended and impacted the grass safety area on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage composite structure. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98BZ
- Reported as
- Diamond DA20 (C1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0689
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 760.2
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Cti Aircraft Leasing Llc, doing business as Flight School
- Registered owner
- Cti Aircraft Leasing Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2019
- Departed
- M04 · Convington, TN
- Destination
- NQA · Millington, TN
- Airport
- M04 · Covington Muni, runway 19, 5,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 44 in this make and model · 203 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 38 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KM04
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.