Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Leesburg Executive Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Saturday, April 16, 2005 16:10 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident took place during a solo flight, the student pilot was attempting to perform a landing on runway 35. During the "roundout," and prior to the flare, the airplane began to drift to the left side of the runway. The pilot attempted to correct, but was unable to maintain his position over the runway centerline. The airplane continued to drift over the grassy area on the west side of the runway, approaching the trees that bordered the airport. He then thought that because he did not have complete control of the airplane, it was time to end the flight by landing on the grassy area. The airplane impacted in up sloping terrain and was substantially damaged. Examination of the airplane's mechanical and flight control systems was conducted and control continuity was verified. No pre-accident malfunctions were discovered. At the time of the accident the pilot had accumulated approximately 38.7 total hours of flight experience, all of which were in the accident airplane make and model.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilots lack of experience, and the uphill terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/16/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1610 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Leesburg |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 20175 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 390427N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0773326W |
| Event Location Airport | Leesburg Executive Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JYO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 389 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1601 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JYO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 389 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.45 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17966 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1620 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Washington/Dulles |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N127X |
| NTSB Number | IAD05CA056 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Diamond Aircraft Industries |
| Aircraft Model | DA40 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 40.438 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 99.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Leskat Air LLC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2608 N. Powhatan St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Arlington |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22207 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | AV-ED Flight School Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1001 Sycolin Rd. SE |
| Operator City | Leesburg |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 20175 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | JYO |
| Departure City | Leesburg |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | JYO |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 9 2005 2:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |