- Date
- July 15, 1999, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N404ECDiamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-A1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990715046089A
- Case key
- 46967
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane
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 student pilot was practicing touch and go landings. On her second or third landing, she applied power, and the airplane veered to the left. She applied right rudder, but the airplane continued to veer left, off the side of the runway, and onto the grass. She then reduced power, but the airplane continued across the grass and came to rest in a ditch. The student pilot had approximately 55 hours of flight experience.
Factual narrative
On July 15, 1999, about 1045 Eastern Daylight Time, a Diamond DA-20-A1 (Katana), N404EC, was substantially damaged during takeoff at Sanford Regional Airport (SFM), Sanford, Maine. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from Laurence G. Hanscom Airport, Bedford, Massachusetts. A visual flight rules flight plan had been filed, but not activated, for the supervised solo instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The student pilot stated that she was practicing touch and go landings to Runway 32 at SFM. On her second or third landing, she applied power, and the airplane veered to the left. She applied right rudder, but the airplane continued to veer left, off the side of the runway, and onto the grass. She then reduced power, but the airplane continued across the grass, and came to rest in a ditch.
The student pilot's flight instructor stated that he endorsed her logbook for a long cross country flight. At the time of the accident, she was on the last leg of the flight. He further stated that the student pilot had 55 hours of flight experience.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the student pilot report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N404EC
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-A1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10-322
- Airframe hours
- 675
- Engine
- Rotax 912F3, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- East Coast Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 21, 1999 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Destination
- SFM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SFM · Sanford Regional Airport, runway 32, 4,999 × 100 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 58 total · 49 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KSF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.