Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 C1 accident near Sylacauga, Alabama, April 27, 2015
On April 27, 2015 at about 8:25 pm local time, a 2004 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 C1, registered N248ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Sylacauga, Alabama (Merkel Field Sylacauga Muni). 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
A partial loss of engine power due to the failure of the throttle body/fuel metering unit to provide the engine with adequate fuel pressure for full power operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2015 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Sylacauga, Alabama · Merkel Field Sylacauga Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 C1, built 2004
- Registration
- N248ME · no longer on the register · serial C0267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the return leg of a student pilot's solo cross-country flight, the airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power after reaching an altitude of about 300 ft above ground level. After checking the mixture, fuel pump, and throttle, the student pilot consulted via radio with his flight instructor, who told him to return to the airport. The student pilot attempted to execute an emergency landing at the airport but was too high at the mid-field point of the runway during final approach. He applied full throttle and attempted to go around but received a stall warning and performed a forced landing past the runway in a grassy area, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident test runs of the engine revealed that the throttle body/fuel metering unit failed to provide adequate fuel pressure to allow the engine to operate at full power. Detailed examination of the throttle body/fuel metering unit was unable to determine why the unit was unable to provide adequate fuel pressure to the engine. Although evidence of nicks, burs, and raised areas along the shaft and aggressive cleaning were found, the extent to which they may have contributed to the unit's inability to provide adequate fuel pressure to the engine could not be determined.
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 engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing area overshoot during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pressure › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Failure
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 23.5 in the last 30 days; 6.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,060.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 30, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,764 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-240-B17B (piston); 1,589 hours total
- Operator: Falcon Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: SCD Sylacauga AL at 8:24 pm
- Destination: CCO Newnan GA
- Runway 09, 5,390 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from SCD, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on December 20, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Engine Examination Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Evidence Control Documentation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.