- Date
- November 20, 1995, 17:57 local (Nov 21, 1995, 01:57 UTC)
- Place
- San Carlos, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N402KTDiamond Aircraft Industries DA20-A1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951120037839A
- Case key
- 29339
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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control, while landing at night.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot made two attempts to land and executed a go-around each time for what appeared to the local controller to be a too-fast approach. After another approach, the aircraft touched down and bounced a couple of times, then it veered off the runway and collided with a runway sign. The wind was calm, and the pilot reported no mechanical problems.
Factual narrative
On November 20, 1995, at 1757 hours Pacific standard time, a Diamond Aircraft DA20-A1 Katana, N402KT, veered to the left of runway 30 after landing and collided with a taxi sign at the San Carlos airport in San Carlos, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the two occupants were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time with calm winds. The aircraft departed San Carlos at 1715 for a local pleasure flight.
According to the local air traffic controller, the pilot had made two other attempts to land and executed a go-around each time for what appeared to be a too-fast approach. On the last landing, the aircraft bounced a couple of times and then veered to the left side of the runway. Runway 30 is 2,600 feet long and 75 feet wide. The runway was dry and the runway lights were set on medium intensity for the night landing.
In his accident report the pilot indicated that he lost control while landing and veered off the left side of the runway and collided with a runway sign. He also indicated there was no mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N402KT
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA20-A1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 10039
- Airframe hours
- 205
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 81 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Diamond Aviation
- Registered owner
- Karen & Roger Roman
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 9, 1995 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- SQL
- Destination
- SQL
- Airport
- SQL · San Carlos, runway 30, 2,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 136 total · 7 in this make and model · 54 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SQL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.