Date:	Sunday 6 June 2021
Time:	10:19
Type:	Diamond DA40NG Diamond Star
Owner/operator:	LIFT Academy
Registration:	N853L
MSN:	40.NC055
Year of manufacture:	2019
Total airframe hrs:	1432 hours
Engine model:	Austro E4-A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Darlington, IN -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Indianapolis International Airport, IN (IND/KIND)
Destination airport:	Indianapolis International Airport, IN (IND/KIND)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On June 6, 2021, about 1020 eastern daylight time, a Diamond Aircraft DA 40 NG airplane, N853L, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Darlington, Indiana. The pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 141 instructional flight.

The flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a training flight. automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) and onboard data revealed heading, engine power, and altitude changes consistent with maneuvering. Just before the accident, the airplane entered a power-off stall from an altitude of about 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The right wing dropped, the pitch attitude decreased, and the airplane entered a descent consistent with a spin.

Ground scars and the orientation of the wreckage were consistent with an impact with terrain in a slight right-wing-low, nose-down attitude. The wreckage was highly fragmented with scattered debris that extended for about 75 yards. There were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Review of engine data indicated nominal engine performance before the accident.

The airplane was not approved for spin maneuvers; however, the airplane’s flight manual provided a recovery procedure in the event of an unintentional spin.

The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an inadvertent spin and loss of control while practicing an aerodynamic stall. Because the airplane was not approved for intentional spins, it is unlikely that the flight instructor had ever experienced a spin in the accident airplane make/model and was therefore likely unfamiliar with its spin and recovery characteristics.

Probable Cause: A loss of control while practicing an aerodynamic stall, which resulted in a spin and impact with terrain.

https://www.journalreview.com/stories/small-plane-crashes-near-darlington,157818
https://cbs4indy.com/news/state-police-investigate-after-plane-crash-in-montgomery-county/
https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20210606/news/306069953/

NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?NNumberTxt=853L
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/LTA53/history/20210606/1353Z/KIND/L%2040.11364%20-86.75797
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=abb377&lat=40.113&lon=-86.757&zoom=18.7&showTrace=2021-06-06&trackLabels×tamp=1622989131.638

https://photos-e1.flightcdn.com/photos/retriever/ddb09498ce0583c404fa11c4a3f0cf20ad4d0826 (photo)

Photo: NTSB

The NTSB is investigating the June 6 crash of a Diamond DA40 NG airplane in Darlington, IN. An NTSB investigator is responding to the scene.

— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) June 6, 2021

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jun-2021 18:04	harro	Added
06-Jun-2021 20:05	Geno	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, ]
06-Jun-2021 20:09	Geno	Updated [Source, ]
06-Jun-2021 21:29	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
06-Jun-2021 21:36	RobertMB	Updated [Phase, Embed code, Narrative, ]
07-Jun-2021 07:12	aaronwk	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
07-Jun-2021 16:12	Captain Adam	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
21-Jul-2021 08:08	aaronwk	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
13-Aug-2022 11:43	Captain Adam	Updated [Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, Photo, ]