NTSB Identification: CEN12FA080
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, November 23, 2011 in Athens, WI
Aircraft: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 20-C1, registration: N203MK
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On November 23, 2011, about 2250 central standard time, a Diamond DA20 C-1, N203MK, registered to North Star Aviation collided with trees and the terrain in a heavily wooded area in Athens, Wisconsin. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight was being operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions existed in the area at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Mankato Regional Airport (MKT), Mankato, Minnesota, about 1930, with an intended destination of the Merrill Municipal Airport (RRL), Merrill, Wisconsin.

The pilot worked on the flight line at the North Star Aviation at MKT. He worked on November 23, 2011, and was scheduled to finish his shift at 2100. According to witnesses, the pilot had planned on departing for RRL at the completion of work shift.

The pilot was not in contact with air traffic control during the accident flight. A search of radar data revealed primary radar returns which matched the time and projected flight path for the trip from MKT to RRL. The last radar return was at 2238 at an altitude of 3,400 feet and about 18 miles southwest of the accident site.

The airplane was reported missing on November 24, 2011. It was located later that same day in a wooded area approximately 22 miles southwest of RRL. The accident site contained trees in excess of 60 feet tall. The airplane had traveled about 350 feet through the trees prior to coming to rest.

The pilot was a private pilot with single and multi-engine land ratings. He was in the process of working on his instrument rating.

A review of the recorded surface observation weather data from RLL, 22 miles northeast of the accident site, revealed the conditions at 2255 were wind from 240 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 3 miles with mist; ceiling 500 overcast; temperature 2 degrees Celsius; dew point 2 degree Celsius, and altimeter 30.07 inches of mercury.

A review of the recorded surface observation weather data from AUW, 27 miles southeast of the accident site, revealed the conditions at 2254 were wind from 230 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 5 miles with mist; ceiling 700 overcast; temperature 3 degrees Celsius; dew point 1 degree Celsius, and altimeter 30.07 inches of mercury.

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