N781MA

Substantial
Minor

DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 20S/N: C0281

Accident Details

Date
Monday, October 31, 2016
NTSB Number
GAA17CA055
Location
Bristow, VA
Event ID
20160726X83922
Coordinates
38.721111, -77.514999
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
1
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control during a landing attempt at night, which resulted in a delayed go-around procedure and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent flight experience.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N781MA
Make
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC
Serial Number
C0281
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2004
Model / ICAO
DA 20BU20
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Multi Engine
No. of Engines
3

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
RAME INC
Address
12903 POINT PLEASANT DR
Status
Deregistered
City
FAIRFAX
State / Zip Code
VA 22033-3214
Country
United States

Analysis

According to the pilot, after multiple previous landings that night to runway 34L, he reported that the airplane was thrown "off course" after it encountered a crosswind. The pilot pulled the power off briefly during the landing and the airplane touched down. However, he reported that he made a late decision to go-around and reapplied the power in hopes of establishing a climb. The airplane was "off course" at a low airspeed, and he applied full power; but he panicked and reduced his right rudder application and the airplane veered to the left. The airplane stalled and impacted the ground, the nose landing gear became imbedded in the mud and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing root, and empennage.

According to the airport security camera video, the airplane descended over runway 34L, and made an immediate sharp left turn 270° to the left of the runway heading, and rapidly ascended. After the sharp left turn, the airplane was airborne for about 534 ft. before impacting the ground and nosing over.

White paint transfer markings observed on the runway surface, and damage to the airplane's left wing indicated that the airplane had impacted the runway surface during the accident sequence.

About 25 minutes prior to the accident, the published METAR for the accident airport reported that the wind was out of 320° true at 6 knots. There were no reported wind gusts at the time of the accident, and there were no published wind gusts at the airport for the remainder of the day.

The pilot reported that he has 99 hours of total flight time, 78 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and a total of 4 hours of flight time within the last 90 days prior to the accident.

The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA17CA055