Diamond DA 20-A1 N528SS

Summary

On 27 March 1999 at about 04:00 local time, a Diamond DA 20-A1 registered N528SS, operated by The Global Group, was involved in an accident near Coyote, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 March 1999 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Coyote, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

36.1103, -106.6599

Aircraft

Diamond DA 20-A1

Registration

N528SS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

The Global Group

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durango → Sante Fe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

DEN99LA060

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot-in-command's inadvertent flight into adverse weather, and his continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors were his failure to obtain an updated recorded weather briefing, the existing weather conditions which included snow, fog and rain, and the aircraft not being IFR equipped.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and his pilot-rated passenger were flying cross-country for the purpose of building flight time. The pilot assumed the role of PIC for the leg from Durango to their intended destination of Santa Fe. During a stop earlier in the day in Las Vegas, the passenger checked the weather using a computer located in the terminal, which called for low clouds and a narrow temperature/dew point spread at the airport in Santa Fe. He did not obtain SIGMETS. While in cruise flight, he and his passenger began to encounter snow, fog and rain. While attempting to climb, he entered instrument meteorological conditions. The aircraft then impacted the trees in a 90 right bank and at a 45 degree downward pitch. The aircraft came to rest in an inverted position along a 45 degree inclining mountainous slope covered by several feet of snow. The aircraft was not IFR equipped.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.