DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 20 C1

Stow, MA — August 9, 2014

Event Information

DateAugust 9, 2014
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberERA14CA400
Event ID20140821X15151
LocationStow, MA
CountryUSA
Coordinates42.46056, -71.51778
AirportMINUTE MAN AIR FIELD
Highest InjuryNONE

Aircraft

MakeDIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC
ModelDA 20 C1
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
None2
Total Injured0

Event Location

Probable Cause

The flight instructor/pilot's failure to recover from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of total experience in the make and model of the accident airplane.

Full Narrative

The flight instructor/pilot was conducting an introductory flight for the passenger and was landing on a 2,770-foot-long, asphalt runway. Upon landing, the airplane began to bounce. After the third touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage. The airplane's second touchdown was described as "rough" by the pilot, and "much more forceful than the initial touchdown" by the passenger. The pilot further stated that he considered aborting the landing after the first bounce, but elected to continue the landing attempt. Postaccident examination of the airplane, which included a metallurgical examination of nose landing gear assembly, did not reveal any preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 440 hours of total flight experience, which included about 8 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane, of which, 1.2 hours were accumulated during the previous 90 days.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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