Engine Failure on Climb-Out — Off-Airport Landing Site Decision
Total power loss in a DA20-C1 at low altitude over Sarasota Bradenton. The off-field environment dictates survival.
The scenario
Departing Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Runway 04, climbing out on a 38° heading into a clear, calm morning. Elevation 30 ft MSL. The field is busy — regional traffic, training flights, and general aviation. You are climbing at 75 KIAS (Vy, best rate of climb) in the Diamond DA20-C1.
The DA20 is a light, efficient composite trainer with a fuel-injected Continental IO-240-B engine (125 hp), fixed gear, fixed-pitch prop, and a single fuel tank with an ON/OFF selector. It is not a complex airplane, but it is slippery — it floats in ground effect and is sensitive to gusts. The nosewheel is castering; directional control on rollout depends on differential braking.
You are at 400 ft AGL, heading 038°, climbing smoothly. The engine is running normally. Off your left wing (heading 038°), the off-field environment is marginal — medium development, wooded wetland, low-density development. Not ideal, but not water. Behind you, the airport is still close.
Aircraft: Diamond DA20-C1, solo, 45 gallons usable fuel. You topped the tanks before departure and did a full preflight. The airplane is within limits. Nothing was written up; the airplane was released from maintenance yesterday after a routine 100-hour inspection.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total, with 80 hours in type (DA20). You have flown this airplane a dozen times from KSRQ. You are familiar with the field and the local area.
At 400 ft AGL, heading 038°, climbing at 75 KIAS, the engine suddenly loses all power. No sputtering, no warning. Total power loss. The prop is windmilling. The airplane is still flying, but you have no engine. You are 400 feet above the ground, 0.5 nm from the airport, over marginal off-field terrain.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSRQ · Sarasota Bradenton'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '30 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'DA20'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about total engine failure in the DA20-C1 at low altitude? (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 by the flight crew and failure to follow the engine failure checklist. The flight instructor did not intervene or correct the student's actions.
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. The pilot did not account for the cumulative fuel burn across multiple flights.
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 left in the fuel system or throttle assembly during maintenance.
NTSB ERA19LA029 (2018): A Diamond DA20 experienced partial engine power loss during cruise flight and made a forced landing in a field. The probable cause was multiple discrepancies in 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 inadequate preflight planning. The pilot did not verify fuel quantity before departure.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. KSRQ has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_GROUND 19.2%, FORCED_LANDING 15.4%, RUNWAY_EXCURSION 11.5%, HARD_LANDING 11.5%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 11.5%), but these specific DA20 engine-failure events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSRQ to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: total or partial engine failure in the DA20 is survivable if the pilot (1) recognizes the failure immediately, (2) establishes best glide (73 KIAS) without delay, (3) assesses landing options and commits to the best one, and (4) executes a stable approach and landing. The failures are always in the decision-making or the preflight planning — not in the airplane itself. Fuel exhaustion, fuel mismanagement, post-maintenance debris, ignition system wear, and improper checklist execution are all preventable through proper preflight, proper fuel planning, and proper procedure discipline.
Key lesson — In the DA20-C1 at KSRQ, a total engine failure on the Runway 04 climb-out at 400 ft AGL is survivable if you establish best glide (73 KIAS) immediately, execute a stable 180° turn back to the airport, and land on Runway 22. The off-field environment off Runway 04 is marginal — medium development, wooded wetland, low-density development — not ideal for a forced landing. Off Runway 22 is open water and low-density development — a ditching. The airport is your best option. The decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Establish best glide first, assess options second, commit to a landing site third.
Debrief — teaching points
Total engine failure in the DA20-C1 is recognizable and immediate.
Unlike a gradual power loss (which might be fuel starvation, ignition wear, or contamination), a total engine failure is sudden — the prop stops windmilling, the engine goes silent, and power is gone. The DA20-C1 has a fuel-injected Continental IO-240, not a carburetor. There is no carb heat, no carb ice, and no gradual icing risk. Fuel exhaustion, fuel contamination, post-maintenance debris, or ignition system failure are the primary causes. A total failure at 400 ft AGL is survivable if you respond correctly in the first 10 seconds.
Best glide speed (73 KIAS) is the first action — not engine restart attempts.
When the engine fails, your first action is to lower the nose to 73 KIAS best glide and trim for hands-off flight. This maximizes glide distance and gives you time to assess options. Spending 10 seconds trying to restart the engine (checking fuel selector, mixture, throttle) costs you altitude and time. Establish best glide first. If the engine restarts, great — you have gained altitude and distance. If it does not, you have optimized your glide.
At 400 ft AGL with 73 KIAS best glide, the DA20-C1 has roughly 1.5–2 nm of glide distance.
The DA20-C1 is light and efficient. At 400 ft AGL and 73 KIAS best glide, you descend at roughly 500 fpm, giving roughly 50 seconds of glide time or 1.5–2 nm of horizontal distance. KSRQ's Runway 04 departure end is 0.5 nm from the airport. A shallow, coordinated 180° turn back to the airport is well within the DA20's glide capability. The turn costs altitude (roughly 150 ft in a shallow, coordinated turn), but you still have enough to reach the runway.
Off Runway 04 at KSRQ, the climb-out environment is marginal — not ideal for a forced landing.
The off-field environment off Runway 04's climb-out (heading 038°) is medium development, wooded wetland, and low-density development. It is not open water (which would be a ditching), but it is not ideal. Trees, buildings, and rough terrain are hazards. If you can return to the airport and land on a runway, that is always the better choice. The marginal terrain is a last resort if you cannot make it back to the field.
Off Runway 22 at KSRQ, the climb-out environment is open water — a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 22's climb-out (heading 218°) is open water and low-density development. An engine failure on the Runway 22 departure at low altitude over water is a ditching, not a field landing. If you depart on Runway 22 and the engine fails at 400 ft AGL, you cannot return to the airport — you are over water. A controlled ditching is the correct outcome. This is why Runway 04 is the preferred departure runway in this scenario — the off-field environment is marginal, not water.
The DA20-C1 has a single fuel tank with an ON/OFF selector — fuel planning is purely a quantity issue.
Unlike a Piper PA-28 (which has left/right tanks and a selector), the DA20-C1 has a single fuel tank. Fuel mismanagement is not about selecting the wrong tank — it is about running out of fuel. Preflight fuel planning is critical. Know your fuel burn rate, plan your flight with a 30-minute reserve, and verify fuel quantity before departure. Fuel exhaustion is preventable through proper planning.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR23LA324 (2023 DA20 fuel mismanagement / forced landing), GAA19CA569 (2019 DA20 fuel exhaustion / forced landing), ERA19LA074 (2018 DA20 partial power loss / forced landing), ERA19LA029 (2018 DA20 ignition system failure / forced landing), CEN16LA018 (2015 DA20-C1 fuel exhaustion / forced landing), and CEN15WA043 (2014 DA20-C1 loss of power). Localized to KSRQ.
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.V.A — Preflight Inspection
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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