Diamond DA20-C1 N363M

Summary

On 25 June 2007 at about 18:30 local time, a Diamond DA20-C1 registered N363M, operated by Professional Air, was involved in an accident near La Pine, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 June 2007 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

La Pine, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

43.6742, -121.5131

Aircraft

Diamond DA20-C1

Registration

N363M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Professional Air

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bend → Bend

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA184

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.