Diamond DA 40 accident near Mesa, Arizona, September 28, 2019
On September 28, 2019, a 2010 Diamond DA 40, registered N4119S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld 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 pilot's decision to abort a go-around with insufficient runway remaining to safely stop the airplane, which resulted in a loss of control, runway excursion and impact with a concrete barrier.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2019
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond DA 40 Undesignat, built 2010
- Registration
- N4119S · no longer on the register · serial 40.804
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, he intended to do touch-and-goes in the local traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg, the air traffic controller cleared him to land. During the landing roll, past the halfway point on the runway, he increased the engine power to full to takeoff and told the controller that he was doing a "go-around". The controller immediately instructed him to exit the runway on to the last taxiway so the pilot "cut the entire power", applied brakes and full right rudder, but the airplane skidded, exited the runway and impacted a concrete barrier. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward, lower fuselage. The flight safety officer reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he wanted to do touch and goes but did not accurately communicate his intentions to the air traffic controller.
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 (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Accuracy of communication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 187 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 98 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 18, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,565.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 21, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,646 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-MIA (piston); 9,031 hours total
- Operator: Cae Oxford Aviation Academy Phoenix Inc
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22R, 3,799 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
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 December 31, 2019. 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 | Accident Photo | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 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.