Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20 accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, June 16, 2018
On June 16, 2018 at about 5:22 pm local time, a 1999 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 20, registered N992CT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork Arpt Springville- airport). 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 pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2018 · about 5:22 pm local time
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork Arpt Springville- · 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 1999
- Registration
- N992CT · no longer on the register · serial C0092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction reported that the pilot performed a soft-field takeoff, and once in ground effect, he reduced back pressure, and the instructor heard the stall warning horn and observed a low airspeed. The instructor told the pilot to reduce the pitch, the pilot lowered the nose a little, but the airplane continued to climb. The instructor told the pilot to reduce pitch again, but the pilot stated he was concerned about a possible propeller strike. The flight instructor took the flight controls, but the airplane had turned to the right, and he experienced a "loss of control." The airplane landed off the right side of the runway, the instructor reduced power, the left main landing gear separated, and the airplane came to rest. The flight instructor and pilot reported that the airplane had aerodynamically stalled. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor and pilot both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Runway excursion during landing
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 540 as pilot in command; 290 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 30, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 181.6 hours in all; 129.6 in this make and model; 103.9 in the last 90 days; 55.4 in the last 30 days; 92.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,774.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,764 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 1,556 hours total
- Operator: 992Ct Aircraft Leasing LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SPK Spanish Fork UT at 5:22 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KPVU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 11, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Instructor and Pilot's Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N992CT 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.