No fatalities

Loss of Control During Soft-Field Takeoff Training Results in Runway Excursion

Convington, TN, United States

On August 31, 2019, a Diamond DA20 C1 operated by Flight School was involved in an aviation accident near Convington, TN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper pitch attitude during the takeoff climb, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and ground impact. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

During a soft-field takeoff training flight, the airplane's nose rose excessively. The instructor corrected, but the airplane pulled right, exited the runway, and impacted the grass, sustaining substantial damage to the lower fuselage.

Incident Details

A flight instructor reported that he directed a student pilot to perform a soft-field takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the instructor maintained his hands on the flight controls while the student pilot released back pressure on the yoke. The airplane began to climb, but the nose was too high. To correct the nose-high attitude, the flight instructor pushed forward on the control stick. Following this input, the airplane started to pull to the right.

The flight instructor stated that he did not know whether the stall warning horn sounded. The airplane flew over the right edge of the runway, descended, and impacted the grass safety area on the right side of the runway. The instructor recalled being on the flight controls at the time of the impact.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage composite structure.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Pitch control — Not attained/maintainedAngle of attack — Not attained/maintainedStudent/instructed pilotInstructor/check pilot