Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 accident near Rockingham, North Carolina, August 11, 2009
On August 11, 2009 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, registered N817PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Rockingham, North Carolina (Richmond County Airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control on landing roll out.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2009 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rockingham, North Carolina · Richmond County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40
- Registration
- N817PA · registry record · serial 40.817
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered left closed traffic, completed the before landing check, and extended the flaps to 10 degrees. He turned the airplane on base, final, and lowered the flaps to the full down position with a right cross wind. The pilot flared the airplane about 30 feet above the runway numbers and touched down on the runway. The airplane started to veer to the left and the pilot stated that he lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane went off the left side of the runway striking a runway light, continued into the grass, and collided with an embankment, receiving structural damage to the airframe. The pilot stated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 571 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 499 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 7, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 849 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 2009; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,646 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-MIA+ (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Paramount Flight Services
The flight
- Departed from: RCZ Rockingham NC at 8:20 pm
- Destination: RCZ Rockingham NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 8:40 pm from RCZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N817PA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.