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NYC04CA085

2004-03-10 · Bardstown, Kentucky, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NONE

N316MA has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PIPER PA-32-300, built 1976), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

On March 10, 2004, at 1145 eastern standard time, a Diamond DA-40, N316MA, was substantially damaged during landing at a private field about 5 miles northeast of Bardstown, Kentucky. The certificated airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he circled the field twice and then prepared for a landing to the south, with full flaps. The pilot flew as close as possible to the trees during the final approach and then performed a "slip" to loose altitude. As the airplane touched down half-way down the 2,500 foot-long turf runway, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied maximum braking. The pilot stated that he "lost directional control" during the landing rollout, the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, and spun 180-degrees. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a knoll, which substantially damaged both wings. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. The pilot circled the field twice and then prepared for a landing to the south, with full flaps. He flew as close as possible to the trees during the final approach and then performed a "slip" to lose altitude. As the airplane touched down half-way down the 2,500 foot-long turf runway, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied maximum braking. The pilot stated that he "lost directional control" during the landing rollout, the airplane ran off the left side of the runway, and spun 180-degrees. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a knoll, which substantially damaged both wings. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2004_NYC04CA085.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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