Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA20-C1 accident near Pikeville, North Carolina, February 6, 2023
On February 6, 2023 at about 10:50 pm local time, a 1998 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA20-C1, registered N116CL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pikeville, North Carolina (Wayne Exec Jetport 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2023 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pikeville, North Carolina · Wayne Exec Jetport · 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 DA20-C1, built 1998
- Registration
- N116CL · registry record · serial C0016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during the fifth solo landing of the day the airplane began to yaw to the left of centerline after touching down. He applied right rudder but was unable to correct the yaw and the right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the main wing spar and fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,450 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2023; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,764 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Aerospace Technolo IO-240B (piston); 1,690 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from GWW
Weather report (METAR): KGWW 062255Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 11/02 A3015 RMK AO2 T01100024
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 15, 2023. 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, Student Pilot | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1, Flight Instructor | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | 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.