# NTSB LAX08CA031: Diamond Aircraft Industries DA-20-C1, N4191D, Mesa, AZ, November 24, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: November 24, 2007, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Mesa, AZ - Coordinates: 33.460834, -111.728332 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4608&lon=-111.7283&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 67200 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX08CA031 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/67200/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA031 ## Probable cause the student pilot's failure to maintain the proper glide path and misjudged flare, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - proper glidepath - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - crosswind - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The student pilot was practicing short-field landings. While on short final in a crab to compensate for the crosswind conditions, he realized that the airplane was below the glide path of the destination runway and began to flare in an effort to reduce the rapid rate of descent. The airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear and began an abrupt veer to the left of runway centerline. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. ## Factual narrative The airplane landed hard during the pilot's attempted landing. In a written statement, the pilot, who held a student certificate, reported that the purpose of the flight was to perform solo practice stop-and-go takeoffs and landings. The pilot configured the airplane for a practice short-field landing and maneuvered into a crabbed configuration to position the nose to compensate for the crosswind conditions. While on short final of the traffic pattern to runway 4L, he realized that the airplane was below the glide path of the runway and began to flare in an effort to reduce the rapid rate of descent. The airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear and abruptly veered to the left of the runway centerline. The airplane stopped at the edge of the runway surface and the pilot taxied back to the tie down area without mishap. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The left wing sustained substantial damage during impact. The pilot estimated that at the time of the accident the wind conditions were from 310 degrees at a velocity of about 8 knots. The pilot had accumulated a total flight experience of 58.7 hours, all in the same make and model as the accident airplane; he had amassed 18.4 hours in the capacity of pilot-in-command. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4191D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4191D-2016-05-02), registration cancelled 2016-05-02, S/N C0408, built 2006 (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-B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-240-b) (registry code 17177, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: C0408 - Engines: Teledyne Continental IO-240-B reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Sabena Airline Training Center - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: FFZ, Mesa, AZ - Destination: FFZ, Mesa, AZ - Airport: FFZ, Falcon Field Airport, runway 4L, 3,799 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3; flight hours: 59 total, 59 in this make and model, 59 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 8 knots - Visibility: 30 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg ## 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 20071124827849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071124827849A), Nov 24, 2007: Diamon DA20C1, Mesa, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) Student had a hard landing while performing a short field landing. The aircraft then left the runway and struck a taxiway sign. A combination of the hard… 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.