Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 C1 accident near Stow, Massachusetts, August 9, 2014
On August 9, 2014 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2004 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 C1, registered N497PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Stow, Massachusetts (Minute Man Air Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor/pilot's failure to recover from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of total experience in the make and model of the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2014 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stow, Massachusetts · Minute Man Air Field · 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 20 C1, built 2004
- Registration
- N497PA · no longer on the register · serial C0297
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor/pilot was conducting an introductory flight for the passenger and was landing on a 2,770-foot-long, asphalt runway. Upon landing, the airplane began to bounce. After the third touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage. The airplane's second touchdown was described as "rough" by the pilot, and "much more forceful than the initial touchdown" by the passenger. The pilot further stated that he considered aborting the landing after the first bounce, but elected to continue the landing attempt. Postaccident examination of the airplane, which included a metallurgical examination of nose landing gear assembly, did not reveal any preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 440 hours of total flight experience, which included about 8 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane, of which, 1.2 hours were accumulated during the previous 90 days.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command; 35 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,620 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 28, 2014; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,770 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-240-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Noble Airventures LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 6B6 Stow MA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: 6B6 Stow MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 2,770 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from BED, 10 miles away
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.
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.