Diamond DA 20-C1 accident near Provo, Utah, March 28, 2013
On March 28, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Diamond DA 20-C1, registered N986CT, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Provo, Utah (Provo Municipal 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and airplane control during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond DA 20-C1
- Registration
- N986CT · no longer on the register · serial C0086
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, while conducting his first solo landing of the day, he flared the airplane, and the main landing gear touched down smoothly then lifted off of the ground again because of excessive speed. About 15 feet above the ground, the student pilot elected to conduct a go-around and added full power. The airplane became unstable and yawed to the right, and the left wing started lowering toward the ground. Despite pilot control inputs, the left wingtip impacted the runway. The airplane landed hard and spun about 180 degrees before coming to rest. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The student pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during approach (VFR go-around)
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 › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 17 hours in all; 17 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continential Motors O-200 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 8:55 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 8,599 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from PUV
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.