History of Flight
On May 31, 2013, at approximately 1310 eastern daylight time, a Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. DA20-C1, registration N176MA, impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Linden Airport (LDJ) in Linden, New Jersey. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The flight instructor sustained fatal injuries, and the passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local introductory instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was owned by a limited liability company and operated by Best-in-Flight, a flight school based at LDJ.
Witnesses reported that the airplane departed from runway 27, a 4,140-foot-long asphalt runway. One witness noted the takeoff roll was longer than typical for other DA-20s he had observed, and the airplane “struggled” to lift off and gain altitude. After a right turn at an estimated altitude of 125 to 150 feet above ground level, the airplane immediately began losing altitude. The witness heard the pilot transmit “mayday” over the common traffic advisory frequency, stating “plane going down.” Engine noise was constant with no interruptions until impact. Another witness, the pilot of a Mooney M20K, observed the accident airplane lift off about two-thirds down the runway with a flat attitude that did not seem to climb. He heard the accident pilot transmit “mayday-mayday-mayday” and announce either “engine trouble” or “engine out,” then “turning back to the airport.” The witness observed the airplane in a nose-high pitch attitude, at which point it stalled, the right wing dipped, and the airplane descended, spun a quarter-turn, and impacted railroad tracks. The passenger reported that the flight instructor told him he had his feet on the brakes during the takeoff roll and instructed him to place his feet flat on the floor. After takeoff, the instructor said the engine “wasn’t making power,” called mayday, and attempted to return to the airport. Radar data from Newark Liberty International Airport showed the airplane departed runway 27, made a right turn to the north, and did not climb above 200 feet; radar contact was lost about one minute after takeoff. The airplane struck and came to rest on abandoned railroad tracks about half a mile northwest of LDJ, within a site containing deteriorated asphalt parking lots adjacent to the tracks.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor, aged 58, held a commercial pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on August 6, 2012. Hired by the flight school in February 2011, he maintained a fulltime schedule as bookings permitted. His total flight experience was approximately 4,400 hours, including about 640 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. In the 90 days preceding the accident, he had accumulated about 200 total hours (160 in type); in the 30 days, about 45 total hours (35 in type).
Aircraft Information
The two-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number C0345, was manufactured in 2005 and primarily constructed of carbon and glass fiber reinforced polymer. It was powered by a Continental Motors Inc. IO-240-B, 125-horsepower engine, equipped with a two-bladed Sensenich wooden propeller. The airplane was certified in the utility category by Transport Canada in accordance with Canadian Airworthiness Manual Chapter 523-VLA. Maintenance records indicated the airplane had about 1,985 total hours since new and 38 hours since its most recent 100-hour/annual inspection on May 10, 2013. The engine had about 2,180 total hours and had been disassembled, inspected, and repaired for a sudden stoppage in May 2008. Total fuel capacity was 24.5 gallons. The airplane was “topped off” the night before and flown for 2.6 hours without incident prior to the accident. Fuel consumption was typically 4.5 to 6 gallons per hour, usually closer to 4.5 gallons during flight school operations. A weight and balance calculation performed after the accident, using the passenger’s reported weight of 290 pounds and the instructor’s medical-certificate weight of 235 pounds, indicated the airplane was about 30 pounds above its maximum takeoff weight of 1,764 pounds; the center of gravity was within limits. The flight school owner stated he would not fly with a 290-pound passenger and would recommend the DA-40 with a 180-horsepower engine. The owner also described the accident airplane as “overpowered” with its 125-horsepower engine and noted that the temperature at the airport (reported 93°F, about 34°C) was likely over 100°F on most of the airport property. Both cockpit seats were equipped with four-point safety belts; each seat had two inertia reels secured to the aft bulkhead for shoulder restraint. Lap belts connected via a quick-release spring-loaded clip-type fitting, secured with a cotter pin. According to the manufacturer, the attachments were designed for a 9g forward, 1.5g sideward load and a 190-pound occupant.
Meteorological Information
Weather reported at LDJ at 1315 was: wind 220 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky clear; temperature 34°C; dew point 16°C; altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury. The estimated density altitude was about 2,200 feet mean sea level.
Wreckage and Impact Information
All major parts of the airplane were accounted for at the site. The airplane came to rest upright with the nose down about 45 degrees. The right wing was displaced aft and folded under the fuselage. The empennage was separated about 4 feet forward of the rudder and partially resting on the ground. Examination of aileron, elevator, and rudder control systems revealed no preimpact malfunctions. The flap actuator was in the takeoff position; the elevator trim actuator was in the neutral/takeoff position. An undetermined amount of fuel had leaked, with additional fuel leaking from the area of the engine-driven fuel pump, which was separated and impact-damaged. Fuel samples from the gascolator and tank sump were free of contamination. The fuel shutoff valve was open. The mixture control linkage was continuous from engine to cockpit. The throttle linkage was connected at the engine but impact-damaged, bent, and broken at the cockpit end. The engine sustained significant impact damage and remained attached to the airframe mainly by linkages to the throttle quadrant. The lower front crankcase was fractured consistent with ground impact. All cylinders remained attached to the crankcase. The right magneto remained attached; the left magneto separated but remained attached via ignition leads. Spark plugs exhibited normal operating signatures with intact electrodes. The fuel pump drive coupling was intact, and the drive shaft rotated freely. Cylinders were free of scoring, and suction and compression were obtained on all cylinders when the crankshaft was rotated by hand. The propeller hub remained attached; one blade was fractured at the hub, the other separated about 2 feet outboard. Small fragments were scattered. Subsequent disassembly and bench testing of magnetos, fuel pump, throttle body, manifold valve, and fuel nozzles revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. The left and right seatpans were attached to the aft bulkhead with screws; the left seatpan had fractures under a leather insert and in the middle, with crushing on the inboard edge; the right seatpan had a fracture along the outboard edge and separated composite near the inboard forward corner. The left seat restraint system remained intact. The right seat outboard lap belt was found disconnected from its attach point; the quick-release hook was distorted, and the cotter pin remained installed.
Medical and Pathological Information
First responders reported that the flight instructor, seated in the right seat, was ejected from the airplane and found unresponsive next to the wreckage. An autopsy conducted by the Union County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as “blunt impact injuries.” Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory revealed no anomalies.
Tests and Research
Examination of the occupant restraint system by an NTSB metallurgist revealed that the left seat quick-release hook was intact and undeformed. The right seat hook was bent out of plane and twisted, with the hook closure latch distorted and deformed. The combined deformations prevented the spring closure from functioning, leaving the throat of the hook open, which would allow the hook to engage or disengage on the anchor with the cotter pin properly installed. A representative from Diamond Aircraft calculated available engine power based on airport elevation and outside air temperature, using flight test data. At 2,500 RPM and manifold pressures of 27 and 28 inches of mercury, the chart brake horsepower was 101.4 (about 81 percent power) and 105.9 (about 84.7 percent power), respectively. These calculations assumed a perfect operating engine and did not account for engine wear, cylinder compression losses, or fuel system setup.