Diamond DA 20 C1 N979DC

Summary

On 19 January 2015 at about 22:00 local time, a Diamond DA 20 C1 registered N979DC, operated by New Horizons Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Shipshewana, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 2015 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Shipshewana, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Goshen Muni (GSH)

Coordinates

41.7058, -85.6131

Aircraft

Diamond DA 20 C1

Registration

N979DC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

New Horizons Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Goshen → Goshen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA106

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to impact ice obstructing the primary air induction system, which resulted from the student pilot’s failure to operate the alternate air control. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s lack of knowledge about using the alternate air control during an engine power loss.

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 was practicing solo ground reference maneuvers about 1,600 ft above ground level when the engine began operating erratically. He further stated that the airplane might have entered an aerodynamic stall. He advanced the throttle to full forward, but the engine did not respond and subsequently experienced a total loss of power. He attempted to restart the engine by completing the emergency procedures that he remembered. The engine "turned over" but did not restart. He then prepared for a forced landing to a nearby field. During the base-to-final turn, he lost control of the airplane, and it descended to the ground. The airplane impacted the field and continued into a propane tank and then a house where it came to rest. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that most of the induction air filter was obstructed by ice; no other anomalies were noted. The engine was test run with and without the ice in the air filter, and the engine produced full power under both conditions. The alternate air lever, which selects a second induction air intake in case the primary air intake (air filter) becomes restricted, was found in the "off" position. The aircraft flight manual states that, in the event of an in-flight engine failure, the alternate air control should be opened (or "on"). A Federal Aviation Administration advisory circular warns pilots of induction system icing known as "impact ice," which can build up on components like the air filter when moisture-laden air is near freezing. Based on the near-freezing outside air temperature and clouds in the area in which the flight was operating and the lack of any apparent engine malfunctions, it is likely that the primary air induction system became obstructed with impact ice during the flight. When asked about the airplane's alternate air lever, the student pilot indicated that he was unfamiliar with the lever and did not know its intended use. If the student pilot had opened the alternate air control during the initial power loss, it is likely that engine power would have been restored.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.