Diamond Aircraft Industries DA-40 accident near Bardstown, Kentucky, March 10, 2004
On March 10, 2004 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Diamond Aircraft Industries DA-40, registered N316MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bardstown, Kentucky (Hensel Field). It was a personal 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's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2004 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bardstown, Kentucky · Hensel Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA-40
- Registration
- N316MA · registry record · serial 40-287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot circled the field twice and then prepared for a landing to the south, with full flaps. He flew as close as possible to the trees during the final approach and then performed a "slip" to lose altitude. As the airplane touched down half-way down the 2,500 foot-long turf runway, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied maximum braking. The pilot stated that he "lost directional control" during the landing rollout, the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, and spun 180-degrees. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a knoll, which substantially damaged both wings. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,910 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,780 as pilot in command; 1,630 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 7, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 531 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2004; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,535 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BRY Bardstown KY
- Destination: NONE Hensel Field KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 180, 2,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from FTK, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N316MA 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.