Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA20-C1 N373AM accident near Culpeper, Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll, resulting in a runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

Following an uneventful flight and taxi back to the runway, the student pilot reported that when he applied takeoff power, the airplane began to veer to the left. He applied right rudder, but the control input was ineffective. He then reduced the power to idle and applied both brakes, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and came to rest in a drainage ditch. The pilot was uninjured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage.

Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the flight controls, braking system, or the nose wheel that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA133 for the full record.