Pilot Debrief

DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 40 near Blairsville, GA — 2013-08-30

Final reportERA13CA389
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Date
2013-08-30
Location
Blairsville, GA, USA
Aircraft
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 40
Registration
N447JP
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into deteriorating weather, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent inability to maintain clearance with terrain.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was at 6,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when he encountered a dark cloud. The pilot decided to descend to 4,500 msl through a “hole” in the clouds and when he “popped” out of the cloud he realized he was going to impact trees. He pulled back on the yoke and the airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the left wing and empennage had separated from the airplane post-impact. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would preclude normal operations.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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