Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 accident near Montgomery, New York, May 9, 2009
On May 9, 2009 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, registered N482MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Montgomery, New York (Orange County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control on landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of total experience as an instructor and delayed corrective action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2009 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Montgomery, New York · Orange County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40
- Registration
- N482MA · registry record · serial 40.552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor (CFI), who had 4 total hours as a CFI at the time of the accident, was conducting an instructional flight with a student pilot. The student pilot made 3 touch-and-go landings to Runway 21. The surface winds at the airport were 200 degrees at 12 knots. The CFI stated that the student did not maintain airspeed, resulting in a sink rate on the previous approaches. He instructed the student to conduct a short field approach with an obstacle. The student conducted the before landing check, lowered the flaps to the first notch and turned on base. The student lowered flaps to the full down position, turned final, and continued the approach. The airplane descended to 25 feet over the runway when the airspeed decreased and the airplane entered a vertical rate of descent. The student pilot did not apply power. The CFI reached over to add power, missed the throttle, flared the airplane, and it collided with the runway hard, resulting in structural damage to the airframe. No mechanical problems were reported by the CFI.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience in position › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
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: 552 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 425 as pilot in command; 4 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 7, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 601 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 5, 2009; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,510 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-MIA+ (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mac Dan Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: MGJ Montgomery NY at 8:40 pm
- Destination: MGJ Montgomery NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,007 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.50 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from MGJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.