As Soon As The Nose Lowered, They Heard A Loud Noise

Location: Benson, AZ Accident Number: WPR20LA290
Date & Time: August 19, 2020, 21:50 Local Registration: N386MA
Aircraft: Diamond DA 40 Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On August 19, 2020, about 2150 mountain standard time, a Diamond DA-40 airplane, N386MA, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Benson, Arizona. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 instructional flight.

The CFI stated that they departed from Tucson, Arizona with the purpose of landing in Benson for the PUI to fulfill a night cross-country flight time requirement toward his commercial license. The PUI completed a normal approach to runway 10 and started the landing flare at about 65 kts. The main landing gear touched down on the runway surface first and as soon as the nose lowered, they heard a loud noise. The PUI held the control stick aft in an attempt to keep the nose up as the airspeed was slowing, but they soon heard the strut scraping along the runway. Upon egressing the airplane, they observed that the nose gear has separated at the pivot axel.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov