- Date
- January 13, 2011, 19:51 local (Jan 14, 2011, 02:51 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N376DCDiamond DA20C1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 78160
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 directional control during landing.
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 pilot stated that the approach and landing were uneventful through touchdown. He landed on the center of the runway, but the airplane started to drift to the left. He added right rudder with some brake pressure, which slowed the drift to the left, but did not completely stop it. He continued these inputs, but the left main tire caught a snow bank. After traveling a few hundred feet, the airplane spun 90 degrees into the snowbank. The operator reported that there were left tire skid marks as the airplane exited the runway, and opined that either the pilot or passenger had their foot on the left brake pedal. The operator issued a new caution to all of its instructors and pilots regarding the use of brakes on touchdown and rollout and reminded them to brief all front seat passengers to keep their feet off the rudder and brake pedals.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the approach and landing were uneventful through downwind, base, final approach, and touchdown. He landed on the center of the runway, but the airplane started to drift/pull to the left. He pressed right rudder with some brake pressure, which slowed the drift to the left, but did not totally stop it. He continued these inputs, but the left main tire caught a snow bank. After traveling a few hundred feet, the airplane spun 90 degrees into the snowbank. The operator reported that there were left tire skid marks as the airplane exited the runway, and opined that either the pilot or passenger had their foot on the left brake pedal. The operator issued a new caution to all of its instructors and pilots regarding the use of brakes on touchdown and roll out, and reminded them to brief all front seat passengers to keep their feet off the rudder and brake pedals.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N376DC
- Reported as
- Diamond DA20C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CO376
- Airframe hours
- 2,237
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental motors IO-240-B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- American Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Allairus LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2010
- Departed
- CNY · Moab, UT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork, runway 12, 5,700 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 92 total · 892 in this make and model · 25 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Observed at
- KPVU
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 17, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 430 KB in all.