Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40 accident near Pearlington, MS
On December 13, 2010, a Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pearlington, MS. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 13, 2010
- Place
- Pearlington, MS
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.320°N, 89.534°W
- NTSB ID
- 20101213X95210
Official records · ERA11FA085
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 12, 2010, approximately 2200, central standard time, a Diamond DA-40, N361DS, was substantially damaged by impact and postcrash fire in a field near Pearlington, Mississippi. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (DTS), Destin, Florida, at 1924, en route to Stennis International Airport (HSA), Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. According to Gulfport approach control personnel, at 2021, the pilot was handed off from Mobile approach control to Gulfport approach when the flight was over the shoreline about 40 miles southeast of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT). The airplane’s mode C transponder reported an altitude of 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl). At 2022, the pilot checked in with Gulfport approach and reported that the airplane was flying level at 4,500 feet. At 2052, the pilot reported he had HSA in sight, and he was 10 miles east of the airport. Radar service was then terminated. At 2053, the Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) tagged the airplane mode C at 5,000 msl, 7 miles east of HSA heading westbound. Between 2053 and 2200, ARTS showed the airplane flying around the Bay St. Louis area making multiple circles. There were altitude variations from a high of 8,400 feet msl at 2100 to 700 feet msl at 2138. About 2200, the last mode C target on the airplane was recorded at 2,000 feet msl. According to a witness
Probable cause
The pilot’s controlled flight into terrain likely due to spatial disorientation, while flying over sparsely lighted terrain at night.
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Browse: Mississippi · Diamond Aircraft Ind 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.
