Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 accident near Rocky Ridge, Utah, September 12, 2025
On September 12, 2025 at about 3:30 am local time, a 2005 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, registered N8VT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Rocky Ridge, Utah. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action during an unusual attitude recovery, which resulted in a descent into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2025 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Rocky Ridge, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, built 2005
- Registration
- N8VT · registry record · serial 40.480
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a night visual flight rules training flight, which included a recovery from an unusual attitude. During the recovery maneuver, the student pilot became concerned about the airplane’s proximity to mountainous terrain. The flight instructor and student pilot then both focused their attention on the multi-function display (MFD) to confirm their position. While both pilots were observing the MFD the airplane entered a decent, which the instructor and student pilot both failed to notice until the terrain was illuminated by the landing light. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane; however, the airplane contacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and separation of the empennage. The flight instructor 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
- Simulated/training event during enroute
- Attempted remediation/recovery during uncontrolled descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,516 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 1,367 as pilot in command; 1,125 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,195.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,646 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-M1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPK Spanish Fork UT at 3:20 am
- Destination: U14 Nephi UT
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 231° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 11.5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from PVU, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPVU 120256Z 10004KT 4SM HZ 21/08 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP103 T02060083 53008
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 WPR25LA278.