Diamond DA 40 N321PF

Summary

On 24 April 2022 at about 00:48 local time, a Diamond DA 40 registered N321PF, operated by Platinum Aviation, was involved in an accident near Cedar City, Utah, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 April 2022 at 00:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Cedar City, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Cedar City Rgnl (CDC)

Coordinates

37.6479, -112.9738

Aircraft

Diamond DA 40

Registration

N321PF

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Platinum Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cedar City → Bryce Canyon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22FA164

4 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain obstacle clearance, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane above its maximum gross weight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses traveling near the accident site reported that they observed the accident airplane flying on an easterly heading about 200 to 300 ft above ground level. The airplane did not appear to be in distress. After the airplane passed over the witnesses’ positions, the airplane maneuvered as if the pilot were trying to turn it around. One witness stated that the airplane’s wings were almost completely vertical at that point. The airplane subsequently impacted mountainous terrain about 7 miles southeast of the departure airport. A postcrash fire ensued. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a pre-existing mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the airplane’s weight and balance information showed that, at the time of departure, the airplane was about 128 pounds over the airplane’s maximum gross weight of 2,646 pounds. The airplane was also outside the approved center-of-gravity envelope. The calculated density altitude at the time of departure was about 6,022 ft. The calculated fuel use from the departure airport to the accident location was about 5 gallons. Thus, at the time of the accident, the airplane was likely about 98 pounds over the maximum gross weight. The calculated density altitude at the accident location and the time of the accident was about 7,203 ft. The calculated climb performance for the airplane, at its assumed altitude and air density conditions, would have about 300 ft per minute. The excessive airplane weight likely limited the airplane’s ability to climb in mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.