What happened
On March 23, 2014, a Diamond DA 20 C1, registration N4112L, was involved in a runway excursion at an airport in Mesa, Arizona. Following a practice landing performed without flaps, the student pilot attempted to exit the 3,799-foot runway at the final taxiway exit. While focusing on maintaining the runway centerline, the pilot did not realize the aircraft was approaching the end of the runway. The aircraft was traveling at a speed that prevented a safe turn onto the intended taxiway, causing the plane to overrun the departure end of the runway and enter the dirt. The incident resulted in structural damage to the fuselage, and there were no injuries.
The investigation
The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation of the aircraft.