Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 40 accident near Lake Pleasant, AZ
On May 12, 2007, a Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 40 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lake Pleasant, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 12, 2007
- Place
- Lake Pleasant, AZ
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 40 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.874°N, 112.287°W
- NTSB ID
- 20070523X00623
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 11, 2007, about 2003 mountain standard time, a Diamond Aircraft Industries, Inc., DA 40, N512DS, performed a low altitude maneuver during which it descended into Lake Pleasant, Arizona. The airplane's structure fragmented upon impact, and the airplane sank. Upon its subsequent recovery, the airplane was found destroyed. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate, and he and the non-pilot passenger were killed. Southwest Flight Center, Scottsdale, Arizona, operated the airplane. The operator's owner and the pilot's family reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the purpose of the flight was pleasure. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the nighttime flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and it originated from Scottsdale, about 1946. The operator's owner reported to the Safety Board investigator that the pilot had rented the airplane for the evening flight. The pilot had previously been checked out to fly the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided the Safety Board investigator with radar data that shows the airplane's flight path from Scottsdale to Lake Pleasant. The track shows the airplane generally flying in a northwesterly direction from Scottsdale toward Lake Pleasant. The radar shows the airplane crossing over the southern portion of the lake, where the New Waddell dam is located. Thereafter, the radar track terminates. An acquaintance of the pilot reported to a Marico
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude above the surface of water during an intentional buzzing maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the nighttime lighting environment.
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Browse: Arizona · Diamond aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
