# NTSB LAX05LA170: Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-C1, N791MA, Glendale, AZ, May 14, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 14, 2005, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Glendale, AZ - Coordinates: 33.526943, -112.29528 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5269&lon=-112.2953&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 61544 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX05LA170 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61544/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=61544 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA170 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudged landing flare that resulted in a stall and hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - runway - stall - encountered, pilot in command ## Analysis The airplane landed hard, damaging the firewall. The pilot said that he reduced engine power to an idle setting, flared too high, and stalled the airplane. The nose landing gear impacted the runway and broke off damaging the firewall. The pilot reported a normal approach at 44 knots, with winds at 4 knots. The pilot noted no preimpact malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane or engine. ## Factual narrative On May 14, 2005, about 1500 mountain standard time, a Diamond DA 20-C1, N791MA, experienced a hard landing at the Glendale Municipal Airport (GEU), Glendale, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local area flight departed Glendale about 1345. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 33 degrees 31 minutes north latitude and 112 degrees 17 minutes west longitude. An hourly weather report issued for GEU at 1457 reported winds from the west at 5.8 miles per hour (mph) with a temperature of 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit and a dew point of 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit. At 1547, the hourly weather observation reported winds from the north-northeast at 4.6 mph with a temperature of 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit and a dew point of 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit. During the first interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) on the day of the accident, the pilot stated that he was making a straight in approach for runway 19 from the north. The pilot reported that the approach was normal and he recalled Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) reporting winds at 4 knots. He "felt ground effect" and noted the airspeed at 44 knots (normal landing airspeed is between 40-44 knots). He said that he pulled the throttle control all the way out and the nose dropped and impacted the runway. He further reported that he may have prevented the accident by not pulling the throttle control all the way out. He added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. In a second interview with the pilot on June 6, 2005, he reported that he flared too high, and the airplane stalled. During this interview he also felt that if he had initiated a go-around the accident could have been prevented. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator and another FAA inspector examined the airplane and noted damage to the firewall. On June 30, 2005, the pilot voluntarily surrendered his pilot's certificate and medical to the local FAA Flight Standards District Office. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N791MA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N791MA), registered now, S/N C0291, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-C1 - Registry model: [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1](https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da20-c1) (registry code 2990001) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-240 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-240-series) (registry code 17063, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AF6337 - Airframe hours: 54.5 - Engines: Teledyne Continental IO-240-B 124 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: GEU, Glendale, AZ - Destination: GEU - Airport: GEU, Glendale Municipal Airport, runway 19, 7,150 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; seat: left; flight hours: 388 total, 297 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 15,000 ft broken - Temperature: 93 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.84 inHg - Observed at: PHX, 15 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050514013209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050514013209A), May 14, 2005: Diamon DA20C1, Glendale, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) Witness reports that he observed the aircraft impact the ground during an attempted landing. On the landing approach, the aircraft leveled at about 50… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2006, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=61544. 274 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 185 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40262860&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Surrendered Certificates Letter (item 2, .PDF, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40268230&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Surrendered%20Certificates%20Letter-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.