- Date
- June 25, 2007, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Pine, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N363MDiamond Aircraft Industries DA20-C1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Portland Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20070625014179A
- Case key
- 66062
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 selection of an unsuitable landing site for a precautionary landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, the low fuel level, and trees.
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 reported that he departed on a cross-country, solo, instructional flight. The pilot made touch and go landings at two different airports and then began his return to the departure airport. At the beginning of the return leg, the pilot checked his fuel gauges and noted that he believed he "would make it back [to the departure airport] with at least a quarter tank remaining." En route, the pilot checked his fuel gauges again, noted that they were indicating lower than he expected, and decided to divert to a closer airport. Approximately 25 miles from that airport, the pilot became convinced that he did not have enough fuel to reach the airfield. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing before he ran out of fuel. The pilot selected a paved road with trees lining both sides as a landing site, and flew the airplane in a "descending right circle" to observe the area. The airplane touched down on the center of the road, but there was not enough lateral clearance, resulting in the left wing impacting trees that lined the south side of the road. The aircraft veered to the left, the nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded to a stop on the road.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he departed on a cross-country, solo, instructional flight. The pilot made touch and go landings at two different airports and then began his return to the departure airport. At the beginning of the return leg, the pilot checked his fuel gauges and noted that he believed he "would make it back [to the departure airport] with at least a quarter tank remaining." En route, the pilot checked his fuel gauges again, noted that they were indicating lower than he expected, and decided to divert to a closer airport. Approximately 25 miles from that airport, the pilot became convinced that he did not have enough fuel to reach the airfield. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing before he ran out of fuel. The pilot selected a paved road with trees lining both sides as a landing site, and flew the airplane in a "descending right circle" to observe the area. The airplane touched down on the center of the road, but there was not enough lateral clearance, resulting in the left wing impacting trees that lined the south side of the road. The aircraft veered to the left, the nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded to a stop on the road.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N363M
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA20-C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0328
- Engine
- Continental IO-240, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Professional Air
- Registered owner
- Brandon Wilcox
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KBDN · Bend, OR
- Destination
- KBDN · Bend, OR
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 55 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.