Diamond DA50 accident near Wagener, South Carolina, June 13, 2023
On June 13, 2023 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 2022 Diamond DA50, registered OEDSD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Wagener, South Carolina (Sd Farms airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s decision to take off from a short, grass runway in gusting wind conditions, resulting in a rejected takeoff and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2023 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wagener, South Carolina · Sd Farms · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond DA50 C, built 2022
- Registration
- OEDSD · no longer on the register · serial 50.C.A.A.017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was taking off to the east from his personal, grass airstrip, which was 2,400 ft-long and 75 ft-wide. Surface wind at a nearby airport was from 120° at 8 knots with gusts to 12 knots. Just before rotation on the takeoff roll, he felt a large wind gust and decided to abort the takeoff. He was unable to stop the airplane in the remaining runway, it collided with a fence, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane’s wings and fuselage were substantially damaged during the accident. The 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 takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 140 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 10, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 173 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 5, 2023; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,407 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental CD300 (piston); 173 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 2,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:00 am from KAIK, 9 miles away
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 August 31, 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 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Submission with Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - Correspondence with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | 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.