Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 accident near Paris, Idaho, May 16, 2021
On May 16, 2021 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2004 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, registered N321PF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Paris, Idaho (Bear Lake County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a bounced landing, loss of directional control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2021 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Paris, Idaho · Bear Lake County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, built 2004
- Registration
- N321PF · registry record · serial 40.375
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, he configured the airplane to land and completed the approach to runway 34. Upon touchdown, the airplane touched down hard and bounced. The pilot opted to abort the landing and applied full power, however the airplane veered left off the runway centerline. The airplane touched down in a soft field adjacent to the runway substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 6,554 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 12, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,527 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 4, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,646 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-M1A (piston); 3,784 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPK Spanish Fork UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 4,590 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from KLGU, 36 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLGU 160151Z AUTO 36011KT 10SM CLR 19/07 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP051 T01940067
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N321PF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR21LA198.