Total Power Loss on Departure
Engine failure at low altitude over dense development — the DA20's light wing and fixed gear demand immediate, precise decision-making
The scenario
Departing Clearwater Air Park (KCLW), Clearwater, FL — Runway 16, climbing out on a 155° heading. Elevation 71 ft MSL. The runway is short (4,108 ft) and the field is non-towered (CTAF 122.8). You are in Class G airspace below 3,000 ft MSL; above that, you enter the overlying Tampa Class B (3,000–10,000 MSL).
It is a clear, calm morning in early summer: OAT 26°C, winds calm, altimeter 29.95. Visibility 10 SM. The off-field environment off Runway 16's departure end (heading 155°) is dense development — low-density residential, medium-density commercial, some open parks. There is no open field, no water, no road. It is all buildings, parking lots, and trees. Off Runway 34 (heading 335°) is similar: low-density development, medium development, scattered parks. This is not a forgiving field for an engine-out departure.
You are 300 ft AGL, climbing at 75 KIAS (Vy, best rate of climb), heading 155°, when the engine suddenly loses all power. The propeller is still windmilling; there is no fire, no smoke, no obvious mechanical failure. The engine is simply not producing thrust. You have roughly 60–90 seconds of altitude and glide distance before you must land. The nearest alternate airport (KPIE, St. Petersburg-Clearwater International) is 5.5 nm away — too far to reach at best glide.
Aircraft: Diamond DA20-C1, solo, full fuel (18 gallons usable), within limits. Continental IO-240-B fuel-injected engine, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear, steam panel. The preflight was cursory — you did not dip the tanks, did not visually verify fuel quantity, and did not check the fuel selector position before engine start. The airplane was signed out as 'airworthy' by the previous pilot.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total, 40 hours in the DA20. You have never experienced a total engine failure in this airplane. You are not instrument-rated. The field is familiar; you have flown here a dozen times.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KCLW · Clearwater Air Park'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '16/34'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '71 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'DA20'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Approach'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about total engine failure in the DA20? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR23LA324 (2023): A Diamond DA20 on an instructional flight lost total engine power during a simulated engine failure when the student advanced the throttle with the mixture leaned. The pilot made a forced landing off-airport. The probable cause was improper fuel management and failure to follow the engine failure checklist. The flight instructor's failure to follow the airplane checklist contributed to the accident.
NTSB ERA21LA250 (2021): A Diamond DA20 on an instructional cross-country flight experienced total loss of engine power due to oil starvation caused by a missing oil sump drain plug. The flight instructor ditched the aircraft in the Chesapeake Bay near a fishing vessel; both occupants were rescued. The probable cause was the mechanic's failure to properly secure the oil sump drain plug during a 100-hour maintenance inspection.
NTSB GAA19CA569 (2019): A Diamond DA20 experienced total engine power loss on approach due to fuel exhaustion after four flights in one day. The pilot made a forced landing on a service road between buildings and struck a tree, sustaining substantial damage. The probable cause was improper preflight fuel planning that led to fuel exhaustion.
NTSB ERA19LA074 (2018): A Diamond DA20 on a post-maintenance test flight experienced partial engine power loss during climb due to debris obstructing the metering plug orifice in the throttle and metering unit. The pilot made a forced landing to a clearing, impacting trees. The probable cause was debris obstructing the metering plug orifice.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Clearwater Air Park. KCLW has its own accident history (forced landings, loss-of-control events, gear-up landings, hard landings, fuel starvation incidents), but these specific NTSB cases happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KCLW to make the off-field environment (dense development, buildings, parking lots, trees) real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: total engine failure in the DA20 is survivable if you establish best glide immediately, make a landing decision within 60–90 seconds, and execute a stable approach. The failures are always a delay — delay in establishing best glide, delay in turning back to the runway, delay in recognizing that the engine is not coming back. At KCLW, with dense development off both runway ends, the runway is the only safe landing option. A 180° turn back to the runway at 300 ft AGL is tight but achievable if you establish best glide first.
Key lesson — Total engine failure in the DA20 at low altitude near KCLW is survivable if you (1) establish 73 KIAS best glide immediately, (2) turn back to the runway in a shallow, coordinated turn, and (3) fly a stable approach at 55 KIAS Vref. The off-field environment at KCLW (dense development, buildings, parking lots, trees) is unforgiving — the runway is the only safe landing option. The DA20's light wing and fixed gear are assets if flown correctly; the airplane will float in ground effect and land smoothly. Delay in any of these steps — delay in establishing best glide, delay in turning back, delay in recognizing the engine is not coming back — costs altitude and margin. At 300 ft AGL, you have 60–90 seconds. Use them wisely.
Debrief — teaching points
The DA20's Continental IO-240 is fuel-injected — fuel starvation is the primary engine-failure risk.
The DA20 has no carburetor and no carburetor heat. The engine is fuel-injected, which means the fuel system is simpler (no carb ice risk) but also more vulnerable to fuel starvation from contamination, exhaustion, or fuel selector error. The single fuel tank with ON/OFF selector means fuel failure is purely a quantity issue — you cannot switch tanks to recover from a fuel problem. Preflight fuel dip-check is not optional; it is the only way to verify actual usable fuel. A cursory preflight that skips the fuel dip is a setup for fuel exhaustion.
Best glide speed for the DA20 is 73 KIAS — establish it immediately on engine failure.
At 73 KIAS best glide, the DA20 will glide roughly 0.5–0.7 nm from 300 ft AGL — enough distance to turn back to the runway if you establish the speed immediately. Every second of delay at a higher airspeed costs altitude and glide distance. The moment the engine quits, lower the nose to 73 KIAS and trim for hands-off flight. This is the single most important action in an engine-failure emergency.
At KCLW, the off-field environment is dense development — the runway is the only safe landing option.
Off Runway 16's departure end (heading 155°), the environment is dense residential and commercial development, parking lots, and trees — no open field, no water, no road. Off Runway 34 (heading 335°), it is similar: low-density development, medium development, scattered parks. An engine failure on departure at KCLW forces a 180° turn back to the runway. A 180° turn at 300 ft AGL in a shallow, coordinated bank at 73 KIAS is tight but achievable. A steep turn or a turn at high airspeed costs altitude and margin. Fly the shallow turn; the runway is worth the extra 10 seconds.
The DA20's light wing is an asset in an engine-out landing — it floats in ground effect.
The DA20 is a light, slippery composite airframe with a bubble canopy. In an engine-out landing, this is an advantage: the airplane will float in ground effect and land smoothly if you fly it at best glide speed (73 KIAS) and approach speed (55 KIAS Vref). Do not slip or steep the approach to get down faster — the airplane will settle naturally. A stable approach at 73 KIAS, transitioning to 55 KIAS on short final, is the correct technique. The castering nosewheel needs differential braking for directional control on rollout, but that is a post-landing concern.
Total engine failure is survivable if you act within 60–90 seconds.
At 300 ft AGL, you have roughly 60–90 seconds of glide time before landing is mandatory. In that window, you must (1) establish 73 KIAS best glide, (2) turn back to the runway, (3) brief yourself on the landing. Every second counts. Delay in establishing best glide, delay in turning back, or delay in recognizing that the engine is not coming back costs altitude and margin. At KCLW, with dense development off both runway ends, there is no margin for delay. The runway is the only safe landing option.
Preflight fuel planning is not optional — it is the difference between a safe flight and a forced landing.
The DA20 has 18 gallons usable fuel. At cruise power (roughly 65% power), the fuel burn is approximately 4.5–5 gal/hr. A cursory preflight that does not include a fuel dip-check and a fuel-quantity calculation is a setup for fuel exhaustion. The real accidents (GAA19CA569, WPR24LA167, GAA19CA534) all involved improper fuel planning or fuel selector error. Know your fuel quantity before takeoff. Know your fuel burn at your planned power setting. Know your endurance. Plan your flight with a 30-minute reserve minimum.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR23LA324 (2023 DA20 total power loss during simulated failure / improper fuel management), ERA21LA250 (2021 DA20 oil starvation / maintenance failure), GAA19CA569 (2019 DA20 fuel exhaustion / improper planning), ERA19LA074 (2018 DA20 partial power loss / debris in fuel system), and regional precedents WPR24LA167, GAA19CA534, WPR12LA023 (fuel tank selection errors in single-tank and multi-tank aircraft). Anonymized and localized to KCLW.
NTSB reports: WPR23LA324 · ERA21LA250 · GAA19CA569 · ERA19LA074 · WPR24LA167 · GAA19CA534 · WPR12LA023
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.B — Engine Starting / Systems Preflight · PA.II.D — Flight Controls · PA.II.E — Fuel System and Operation
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185 · §91.207
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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