Diamond DA20 N653DC

Summary

On 28 October 2018 at about 22:30 local time, a Diamond DA20 registered N653DC, operated by Falcon Aviation Academy Llc, was involved in an accident near Mountain Rest, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were 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

28 October 2018 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Mountain Rest, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.8650, -83.1572

Aircraft

Diamond DA20

Registration

N653DC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Operator

Falcon Aviation Academy Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sylva → Athens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA029

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to multiple discrepancies of the engine's ignition system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the airplane was in cruise flight about 6,500 ft mean sea level when the engine lost partial power. The pilot stated that he selected a field for a forced landing because no airport was within gliding distance. During the descent, the pilot's remedial actions to restore engine power were unsuccessful, so he declared an emergency over the radio and secured the engine before the off-airport landing. The airframe sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage during the landing. After the accident, several engine starts were attempted on the airframe, but each was unsuccessful. The engine was removed and shipped to the manufacturer, where an engine start was attempted in a test cell. The engine ran roughly and would not run continuously. Troubleshooting was performed, and internal engine timing and ignition timing were confirmed. Ultimately, both magnetos and both ignition harnesses required replacement to achieve a successful engine run. Disassembly of the right magneto revealed excessive wear, which rendered it inoperative. The left magneto required cleaning of the points to operate, and both ignition harnesses displayed damage due to overtightening of restraint clamps, which resulted in ignition "leaks" and intermittent spark at the spark plugs. It is likely that the combination of all of the discrepancies of the ignition system ultimately resulted in the engine's partial loss of power during the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.