Summary
On June 25, 2007, a Diamond Aircraft Industries DA20-C1 (N363M) was involved in an incident near La Pine, OR. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site for a precautionary landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, the low fuel level, and trees.
The student pilot reported that he departed on a cross-country, solo, instructional flight. The pilot made touch and go landings at two different airports and then began his return to the departure airport. At the beginning of the return leg, the pilot checked his fuel gauges and noted that he believed he "would make it back [to the departure airport] with at least a quarter tank remaining." En route, the pilot checked his fuel gauges again, noted that they were indicating lower than he expected, and decided to divert to a closer airport. Approximately 25 miles from that airport, the pilot became convinced that he did not have enough fuel to reach the airfield. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing before he ran out of fuel.
This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA07CA184. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N363M.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site for a precautionary landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, the low fuel level, and trees.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The student pilot reported that he departed on a cross-country, solo, instructional flight. The pilot made touch and go landings at two different airports and then began his return to the departure airport. At the beginning of the return leg, the pilot checked his fuel gauges and noted that he believed he "would make it back [to the departure airport] with at least a quarter tank remaining." En route, the pilot checked his fuel gauges again, noted that they were indicating lower than he expected, and decided to divert to a closer airport. Approximately 25 miles from that airport, the pilot became convinced that he did not have enough fuel to reach the airfield. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing before he ran out of fuel. The pilot selected a paved road with trees lining both sides as a landing site, and flew the airplane in a "descending right circle" to observe the area. The airplane touched down on the center of the road, but there was not enough lateral clearance, resulting in the left wing impacting trees that lined the south side of the road. The aircraft veered to the left, the nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft skidded to a stop on the road.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA07CA184