Amateur-built PIEL DIAMANT accident near Montezuma, Utah, July 3, 2010
On July 3, 2010 at about 1:45 am local time, a amateur-built PIEL DIAMANT, registered N278JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Montezuma, Utah. It was a personal 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 failure to maintain clearance from road signs during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2010 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Montezuma, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PIEL DIAMANT
- Registration
- N278JA · registry record · serial 777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a cross country flight the pilot recognized that he had been using the wrong road to navigate to his destination. He decided to turn around and return to the departure airport. The pilot reported that he was concerned with the approaching night and decreasing light condition. As the amount of light continued to decrease he elected to make a precautionary landing on a road prior to reaching the departure airport. The pilot stated that either during the landing or taxi the underside of the wing was damaged by contact with a road marker. Further damage to the wing caused by contacting additional road markers occurred when the pilot taxied off the road to park the airplane and again when repositioning the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no known mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft prior to the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,460 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 30, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,330 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-346 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 66V Bluff UT at 1:00 am
- Destination: KBDG Blanding UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 1:57 am from KBDG, 24 miles away
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.