Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20C-1 accident near Provo, Utah, July 16, 2001
On July 16, 2001 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20C-1, registered N981CT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Provo, Utah (Provo Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadvertent stall by the pilot during an aborted landing. Contributing factors were an excessive flare, premature retraction of the flaps, and gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2001 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20C-1
- Registration
- N981CT · no longer on the register · serial C0081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was making a short field landing on runway 13. AWOS reported the wind to be from 140 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. The pilot said he flared, but the airplane floated "in ground effect for longer than normal, so I cut the power back from about 1600 rpm to idle to bleed my airspeed." Witnesses said it appeared he flared excessively. The airplane bounced when it touched down. The pilot aborted the landing, applied full power, and retracted the flaps. Witnesses said the airplane assumed a nose high attitude, rolled left and right, then struck the ground 100 feet to the right of the runway.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,542 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 2001; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,720 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-240B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U19 Fillmore UT at 3:20 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 13, 8,599 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from PVU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.