Engine Failure on Climb-Out: Off-Airport Landing Site Decision
Total power loss in a DA20 at low altitude over Tampa Bay — the runway choice and preflight fuel planning collide with reality
The scenario
Departing St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (KPIE), Pinellas Park, FL — Runway 04, climbing out on a 040° heading. Elevation 11 ft MSL. You are a Private pilot with roughly 180 hours total time, current and proficient in the Diamond DA20-C1. This is a local flight — a 45-minute round trip to a nearby practice area and back.
It is a clear, calm morning in late spring: OAT 24°C, altimeter 29.98, light and variable winds. Visibility 10+ SM. The DA20 is a fuel-injected, fixed-gear, fixed-pitch trainer — no carburetor, no gear to raise, no propeller control. Single fuel tank, ON/OFF selector. You completed a standard preflight and confirmed the fuel quantity visually: the tank appeared full. You did not dip the tank with a fuel stick or calculate endurance against a planned flight time.
You are 400 ft AGL, climbing at 75 KIAS (Vy, best rate of climb), heading 040°, when the engine begins to lose power. The tachometer is unwinding. The Continental IO-240-B is fuel-injected; there is no carburetor heat to apply, no carb ice to suspect. The power loss is real and developing. Off Runway 04's departure end, the off-field environment is open water — Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. You have roughly 30 seconds of useful decision time before altitude becomes critical.
Aircraft: Diamond DA20-C1, solo, within limits. Continental IO-240-B fuel-injected engine, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, single fuel tank with ON/OFF selector. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure. You did not perform a fuel-quantity check with a dip stick — you relied on a visual inspection of the tank.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 180 hours total. You are familiar with the DA20 from training but have limited experience with fuel management in single-tank aircraft. You did not calculate endurance or cross-check fuel quantity against planned flight time. You did not review the engine failure checklist before takeoff.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KPIE · St. Petersburg Clearwater'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '11 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'DA20'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about 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 the flight instructor's failure to follow the airplane checklist and the student pilot's improper fuel management. The accident resulted from a total loss of engine power and impact with terrain during an off-airport landing.
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 the pilot's improper preflight fuel planning — no dip stick, no endurance calculation — which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and impact with a tree during an off-airport landing.
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 a partial loss of engine power due to debris obstructing the metering plug orifice in the throttle and metering unit — a post-maintenance failure.
NTSB ERA19LA029 (2018): A Diamond DA20 experienced partial engine power loss during cruise flight and made a forced landing in a field near Mountain Rest, South Carolina. The probable cause was a partial loss of engine power due to multiple discrepancies of the engine's ignition system, including worn magnetos and damaged ignition harnesses.
NTSB CEN16LA018 (2015): A Diamond DA20-C1 on a personal night flight made a forced landing in a field after total engine failure due to fuel exhaustion. The probable cause was the pilot's operation of the aircraft without the owner's permission and his lack of preflight planning — no fuel dip stick, no endurance calculation — which resulted a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft types — NOT at St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport. KPIE has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KPIE to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: engine failure in the DA20 is often preceded by inadequate preflight fuel planning (no dip stick, no endurance calculation), post-maintenance debris, or ignition system degradation. The DA20 has a single fuel tank — fuel risk is purely quantity planning, not mis-selection. A visual fuel inspection is not sufficient. The engine failure checklist is not optional — it should be reviewed before every flight and executed immediately if power is lost.
Key lesson — In the DA20-C1, engine failure at low altitude over open water is a forced landing or ditching. Off Runway 04 at KPIE, the off-field environment is Tampa Bay — a forced landing there is a ditching, not a field landing. Preflight fuel planning must include a dip stick and an endurance calculation against planned flight time. A visual fuel inspection is not sufficient. If power is lost at low altitude, establish 73 KIAS best glide immediately, declare an emergency, and either return to the airport or execute a controlled ditching. Do not attempt a turn back to the runway at 300 ft AGL with no engine power — the stall risk is too high.
Debrief — teaching points
Preflight fuel planning in the DA20 requires a dip stick and an endurance calculation.
The DA20 has a single fuel tank with an ON/OFF selector — there is no left/right tank management. Fuel risk is purely quantity planning. A visual fuel inspection of the tank is not sufficient. You must use a fuel dip stick to measure the actual quantity in gallons, then calculate endurance (gallons ÷ fuel burn rate) against your planned flight time plus a safety reserve. NTSB GAA19CA569 and CEN16LA018 both cite inadequate preflight fuel planning — no dip stick, no endurance calculation — as the probable cause of fuel exhaustion and forced landing. This is not optional.
The DA20's Continental IO-240-B is fuel-injected — there is NO carburetor heat.
The DA20 does not have a carburetor or a carburetor heat system. The fuel-injection system does not respond to manual mixture control in the way a carbureted airplane does. If you are troubleshooting an engine failure in the DA20, do not waste time looking for a carb heat knob or trying to adjust mixture — focus on fuel selector, ignition system, and throttle metering. Carburetor ice is not a failure mode in this airplane.
Best glide speed in the DA20 is 73 KIAS — establish it immediately if power is lost.
Best glide at 73 KIAS maximizes glide distance and gives the most time and distance to manage the emergency. Whether that means reaching the airport or setting up the best possible controlled ditching, 73 KIAS is the speed to fly. Do not climb, do not descend — establish 73 KIAS and hold it. At 400 ft AGL over water, every second and every foot of altitude matters.
Off Runway 04 at KPIE, the off-field environment is open water — a forced landing there is a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 04's departure end (heading 040°) is open water — Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There is no alternate landing surface. If the engine quits on the Runway 04 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a ditching. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Know this before you line up on Runway 04. Doors unlatched before water contact. Fuel selector OFF and master OFF just before impact. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of touchdown speed.
The engine failure checklist is not optional — review it before every flight.
NTSB WPR23LA324 cites the flight instructor's failure to follow the airplane checklist as a contributing factor. The DA20's engine failure checklist includes fuel selector ON/OFF, throttle position, ignition check (both mags), and airspeed management. If power is lost at low altitude, execute the checklist immediately: fuel selector (confirm ON), throttle (advance to full power if not already), ignition (cycle both mags to check for weakness), airspeed (establish 73 KIAS best glide). Do not skip steps.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR23LA324 (2023 DA20 fuel mismanagement / forced landing), GAA19CA569 (2019 DA20 fuel exhaustion / off-airport landing), ERA19LA074 (2018 DA20 partial power loss / post-maintenance), ERA19LA029 (2018 DA20 ignition system failure), CEN16LA018 (2015 DA20 fuel exhaustion / forced landing), and CEN15WA043 (2014 DA20 power loss / forced landing). Anonymized and localized to KPIE.
NTSB reports: WPR23LA324 · GAA19CA569 · ERA19LA074 · ERA19LA029 · CEN16LA018 · CEN15WA043
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.E — Engine Failure During Takeoff
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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