N981CT

On July 16, 2001, approximately 1135 mountain daylight time, a Diamond DA 20C-1, N981CT, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain following a loss of control during an aborted landing at Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Fillmore, Utah, approximately 1030.

On numerous occasions, the pilot was asked to complete NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report. Although he stated that he would, no report was ever received. He did submit a written statement to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a copy of which was provided to the NTSB investigator-in-charge. The chief pilot for Utah Valley State College, the airplane's operator, did complete an accident report. The following is based on that report and the pilot's written statement to the FAA.

The pilot was returning from a cross-country flight and was landing on runway 13. He decided to make a short field landing. The Provo AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) reported the wind to be from 140 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot said he flared, but the airplane floated "in ground effect for longer than normal, so I cut the power back from about 1600 rpm to idle to bleed my airspeed." The chief pilot said the pilot misjudged the wind. Witnesses said it appeared the pilot flared excessively. The airplane bounced when it touched down. The pilot said he aborted the landing, applied full power, and retracted the flaps. Witnesses said the airplane assumed a nose high attitude, rolled left and right, then struck the ground 100 feet to the right of the runway. Photographs taken by an FAA inspector shortly after the accident showed the flaps were retracted. The photographs also showed the nose landing gear was sheared off, the forward section of the fuselage was buckled, and the empennage was severed.