Diamond Aircraft DA20-C1 accident near Terre Haute, Indiana, September 19, 2025
On September 19, 2025 at about 5:56 pm local time, a 2009 Diamond Aircraft DA20-C1, registered N544KC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Terre Haute, Indiana (Terre Haute Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose landing gear strut and associated nosewheel separation during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2025 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- Terre Haute, Indiana · Terre Haute Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft DA20-C1, built 2009 · all DA20-C1s on the register
- Registration
- N544KC · registry record · serial C0544
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction were conducting an instructional flight when the nosewheel separated from the nose landing gear strut during takeoff. The flightcrew reported that the takeoff was normal and that there was no indication that the nosewheel had separated from the airplane. However, after the nosewheel was located on the runway, the flight instructor received a phone call from the airplane operator and then via subsequent radio calls over the operator dispatch frequency it was determined that the separated nosewheel was likely from their airplane. Then the airplane operator and airport tower controller each visually confirmed that the nosewheel was indeed missing from the airplane. During the subsequent landing, the nose landing gear strut collapsed aft when it contacted the runway. The composite fuselage structure sustained multiple cracks, the nose landing gear box delaminated, and the firewall delaminated from the fuselage during the landing. The lower portion of the nose landing gear strut welded assembly terminates with a threaded stud where a castellated nut and cotter pin secure the nosewheel fork assembly to the strut pivot. A postaccident examination determined that the threaded stud fractured which allowed the nosewheel fork to separate from the strut pivot. The castellated nut and cotter pin remained installed to the threaded portion of the fractured stud. In January 2023, the airplane manufacturer issued Service Information Letter (SIL) No. SIL20C1-014 to address cracks at the top of the nose landing gear strut pivot and/or at the top of the threaded stud. Additionally, the airplane manufacturer cautioned that a single hard landing may severely reduce the service life of the nose landing gear strut, and that improper assembly of the nose landing gear could result in cracking at the threaded stud which may result in the separation of the nosewheel fork assembly. The airplane manufacturer recommended a thorough examination of the nose landing gear strut pivot and threaded stud every 100 hours in accordance with the airframe maintenance manual instructions. The airplane manufacturer further stipulated that it was imperative that “all suspected hard landings are reported and the airplane inspected.” According to a postaccident review of maintenance documentation, there were no cracks observed on the nose landing gear strut when it was last examined during a 100-hour examination completed about 30.7 flight hours before the accident flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 357 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 27, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 70 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 31, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,487 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 8, 2025; 30.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,764 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-240-B (piston); 3,487 hours total
- Operator: Indiana State University
The flight
- Departed from: HUF Terra Haute IN at 5:08 pm
- Destination: HUF Terra Haute IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 7,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from HUF
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHUF 191753Z 16006KT 10SM CLR 32/15 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP170 T03170150 10317 20133 58006=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA392.