- Date
- July 1, 2009, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N765DCDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminsitration
- FAA report
- 20090701009579A
- Case key
- 74171
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 student pilot’s improper landing flare.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot reported that his final approach to the runway was high and that he "slipped" the airplane to lose altitude. As the airplane crossed over the runway, he pitched the airplane forward to prepare for landing. The student pilot stated that he "felt the [air]plane losing forward momentum and added throttle to compensate." The airplane landed hard, bounced back into the air, and began to drift to the left. As the student pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full throttle and reducing flaps, the airplane landed hard and exited the runway to the left. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in structural damage to the rudder, left aileron, fuselage, and engine firewall. The student pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on final approach to the runway, he was high and slipped the airplane to lose altitude. As the airplane crossed over the runway, he pitched the airplane forward to prepare for landing. The student pilot stated that he "felt the [air]plane losing forward momentum and added throttle to compensate." The airplane landed hard, bounced back into the air, and began to drift to the left. As the student pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full throttle and reducing flaps, the airplane landed hard and exited the runway to the left. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in structural damage to the rudder, left aileron, fuselage, and engine firewall. The student pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N765DC
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 20-C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- C0165
- Airframe hours
- 2,660
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-240 SER, 128 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Airgyro Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Airgyro Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 13, 2009 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork-Springville, runway 30, 5,700 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 16 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- PVU, 5 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 668 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N765DC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.