Diamond DA20-C1 Short Landing at Las Marías Aerodrome, Chile

Overview and Flight Background On 4 December 2021, a Diamond DA20-C1 (serial C0695) was on a cross-country flight with other Club Aéreo aircraft, departing Aeródromo General Bernardo O’Higgins (SCCH), Chillán, for Aeródromo Las Marías (SCVL), Valdivia, Región de Los Ríos. The flight was being conducted by a private pilot and flight instructor, accompanied by a student pilot. ## Accident Sequence At 18:14 local time, the aircraft was on final approach to runway 17 at SCVL. The crew reported being affected by adverse wind conditions. The instructor took control of the aircraft and it made contact with the terrain 17 metres before the runway 17 threshold. ## Injuries and Damage Both the instructor and the student pilot were uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage including: a detached rear lower tail fairing with a fractured stop; fractures and deformation at the left wing root; a fracture at the top of the right wingtip; scratches on the underside of the left wingtip; torn sealing strips at the left wing root; fractures and material loss on the lower rudder; fractures at the right flap attachment points and delamination on the outer trailing edge; and deformation of the right landing-gear leg. ## Aircraft and Crew Details The aircraft was a 2017 Diamond DA20-C1, serial C0695, with 1,002.0 flight hours at the time. It was powered by a Continental IO-240-B engine (serial 1033467). The pilot in command was a 70-year-old Chilean private pilot with 5,031:12 total hours and 200:00 hours on type. The student pilot was a 43-year-old Chilean with 51:00 total hours, all on type. ## Investigation Context The investigation was conducted in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and Chilean regulation DAR-13 (third edition, approved by Supreme Decree No. 302 of 20 October 2020). The stated purpose was to determine the causes of the event for prevention.