- Date
- March 21, 2024, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Coolidge, AZ · P08 Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N755LADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240321003029A
- Case key
- 193975
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, which resulted in a hard landing in gusty wind conditions. Contributing, was the failure of the flight instructor to intervene in a timely manner.
Findings · 5
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 flight instructor reported that the student pilot initially flared high for the landing and was instructed to lower the nose and add power to correct for the slow airspeed. The student pilot corrected to a normal landing attitude when a wind gust caused the airplane to drift to the left of centerline. Subsequently, the airplane began to sink towards the runway with the right wing down, which struck the runway. The airplane then bounced, and the instructor took control of the airplane and was able to safely recover and land the airplane. Post flight examination of the airplane revealed that the right aileron sustained substantial damage. Both pilots stated that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N755LA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.NC220
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 97.7
- Engine
- Austro Engine Ae E4-A, 168 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jetnexa Four LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 20, 2024
- Departed
- IWA · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- P08 · Coolidge Municipal Airport, runway 05, 5,564 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 13 total · 12 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 17, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 11,230 total · 120 in this make and model · 10,780 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGZ, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KCGZ 211656Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/04 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP184 T01890044 PNO $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB 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.