Diamond Aircraft DA 40 NG

Aircraft Manufacturer: Diamond Aircraft

Model: DA 40 NG

About the Diamond Aircraft DA 40 NG

On the safety percentile, the DA-40 NG sits higher than nearly all comparable types within its cohort of same type, engine class, and seat range, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. The FAA registry records 14 accidents for the model, of which 1 was fatal.

By active registrations, the DA-40 NG is Diamond Aircraft's third-largest fleet, with more than 300 aircraft on the U.S. civil registry. Those airframes account for about 20% of the manufacturer's active fleet.

Three FAA airworthiness directives apply to the DA-40 NG, and all three remain active. The most recent is dated April 30, 2026.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Diamond Aircraft
Manufacturer Serial Number 2990014
Model DA 40 NG
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 5 seats
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Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

100%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


12 exact, 2 recovered, 0 provisional

Methodology
14
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


1 fatal accidents.

7.1% of recorded accidents were fatal.

314
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


1,305

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
0.8%
Exposure
0.3%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2016 – 2026 Total 14
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 14 observed): 2016 1, 2017 2, 2019 1, 2021 1, 2022 1, 2023 3, 2024 2, 2025 1, 2026 2. 2 4 6 8 0 1 '16 2 '17 1 '19 1 '21 1 '22 3 '23 2 '24 1 '25 6 '26
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

8 categories Total 14
Landing 5
Enroute 2
Maneuvering 2
Standing 1
Takeoff 1
Initial climb 1
Approach 1
Emergency descent 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 37
Aircraft 16
Personnel issues 13
Environmental issues 7
Organizational issues 1
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 14
None 8
Serious 3
Minor 2
Fatal 1

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (14)

Recorded Accidents

All 14 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Galveston, TX N351L Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Bay Minette, AL N708BL Substantial Minor Enroute unknown
Sanford, NC N499BW Substantial Serious Approach unknown
Monticello, IA N478SA Substantial None Landing Environmental issues
Coolidge, AZ N755LA Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Asheville, NC N907L Substantial Serious Maneuvering Aircraft, Organizational issues
Yorktown Heights, NY N44HH Substantial Minor Takeoff Aircraft
Lake Katrine, NY N871LA Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Smithfield, NC N471BL Substantial Serious Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft
Darlington, IN N853L Destroyed Fatal Maneuvering Personnel issues
Tavernier, FL N420NG Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Goodyear, AZ N910XD Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Goodyear, AZ N154BY Substantial None Initial climb Aircraft, Personnel issues
Kingman, AZ N605SJ Substantial None Enroute Aircraft

Airworthiness Directives

Composition of FAA airworthiness directives (ADs) that apply to this model, as of September 17, 2026. ADs are mandatory FAA-issued corrective actions for safety-of-flight issues. Pilots, owners, and operators should always verify against the current FAA AD listing before any maintenance or flight action. Methodology →

3 active · 3 total airworthiness directives issued against this model · most recent:


Time series

Directives by year

Count of airworthiness directives issued against this model per calendar year (publication date in the Federal Register). Includes both active and superseded directives. An active AD still applies; a superseded one was replaced by a later AD.

2016 – 2026 Total 3
Airworthiness directives by year Airworthiness directives by year (total 3 observed): 2016 1, 2022 1, 2026 1. 1 2 3 4 0 1 '16 1 '22 1 '26
Subject

Directives by system / component (JASC / ATA code)

Breakdown of the AD count for this model by the FAA's coded subject classification. The corpus mixes legacy 2-digit ATA chapter codes and modern 4-digit JASC codes; both forms are surfaced as separate bars (see the methodology page).

2 categories Total 2
JASC/ATA 2550 1
JASC/ATA 1410 1

Recent directives

The most recent airworthiness directives applicable to this model, by effective date. A Superseded badge means a later AD has replaced this one; we still list the original so it isn't lost from the page.

AD number Effective date Subject Status
2026-06-03 Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. Airplanes Active
2022-13-06 Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. Airplanes Active
2016-23-03 Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Airplanes Active
Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.