Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 NG accident near Coolidge, Arizona, March 21, 2024
On March 21, 2024 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2023 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 NG, registered N755LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Coolidge, Arizona (Coolidge Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing in gusty wind conditions. Contributing, was the failure of the flight instructor to intervene in a timely manner.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2024 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Coolidge, Arizona · Coolidge Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 NG, built 2023
- Registration
- N755LA · registry record · serial 40.NC220
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot initially flared high for the landing and was instructed to lower the nose and add power to correct for the slow airspeed. The student pilot corrected to a normal landing attitude when a wind gust caused the airplane to drift to the left of centerline. Subsequently, the airplane began to sink towards the runway with the right wing down, which struck the runway. The airplane then bounced, and the instructor took control of the airplane and was able to safely recover and land the airplane. Post flight examination of the airplane revealed that the right aileron sustained substantial damage. Both pilots stated that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 12 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,230 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 10,780 as pilot in command; 5,764 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 17, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 97.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,535 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Austro Engine Ae E4-A (piston); 98 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IWA Mesa AZ at 4:26 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,564 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from KCGZ, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCGZ 211656Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/04 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP184 T01890044 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 31, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR24LA116.