Diamond DA 20-C1 accident near Alamo Lake State Park, Arizona, December 20, 2008
On December 20, 2008 at about 10:21 pm local time, a Diamond DA 20-C1, registered N4196M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Alamo Lake State Park, Arizona. It was an instructional 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 failure to maintain control during the performance of a maneuver and his failure to recover from the subsequent aerodynamic stall and spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2008 · about 10:21 pm local time
- Place
- Alamo Lake State Park, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond DA 20-C1
- Registration
- N4196M · no longer on the register · serial C0430
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot enrolled in a professional pilot flight training program and commenced his flying lessons about 3 months before the accident. Pursuant to the flight school's curriculum, the pilot filed a round robin flight plan for a solo instructional cross-country flight principally intended to further his expertise in navigation. Airwork was not supposed to be performed. After takeoff, the pilot did not open his flight plan. Rather than cruising en route at the planned 6,500-foot mean sea level (msl) altitude, the pilot climbed to 14,000 feet. As planned, the pilot landed and refueled at the halfway-point airport and then departed for the return flight. En route, the pilot climbed to about 9,400 feet. After flying about 1/2 hour, the pilot reversed course and began performing airwork between 6,700 and 7,300 feet msl. Two witnesses in a boat observed the airplane in a spinning descent. One of the witnesses stated that he observed the airplane complete 8 turns before he lost sight of it behind a hill. The airplane impacted the ground (elevation 1,100 feet msl) in a nose-down attitude without evidence of landing-gear-induced ground scar in the sandy terrain around the crash site. The site was within 300 feet (lateral distance) from where the airplane disappeared from radar, as it was descending about 6,000 feet per minute. The accident pilot's certified flight instructor had provided his student with spin awareness training, including actual spins. This training was repeated on more occasions than listed in the FAA-approved training curriculum. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The reason that the pilot failed to recover from the spin was not determined.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 94 hours in all; 69 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 52 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,949 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 13, 2008; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,764 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-240-B(17) (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sabena Airline Training Center, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: HII Lake Havasu Cty AZ at 9:47 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:23 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.