Amateur-built Smith Miniplane DSA1 accident near Escondido, California, September 16, 2003
On September 16, 2003 at about 1:31 am local time, a amateur-built Smith Miniplane DSA1, registered N40DB, was destroyed in an accident near Escondido, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's low level aerobatic maneuver and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2003 · about 1:31 am local time
- Place
- Escondido, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Smith Miniplane DSA1
- Registration
- N40DB · registry record · serial DWB-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the ground while maneuvering. The pilot flew over the airport approximately 50 to 100 feet above ground level (agl), and then entered a barrel roll. The pilot lost altitude at the end of the maneuver and impacted the ground. The debris field was approximately 150 square feet. The top wing of the biplane was sheared off and control continuity was unable to be established due to the damage sustained to the airplane. The pilot had around 1,700 hours total flying time, with limited aerobatic experience.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 Ser (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Lake Wohlford CA at 1:25 am
- Destination: PVT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.