# Accident 19980507015379A: Amtr RANSS9, Waukee, IA, May 7, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 7, 1998, 12:30 local time
- Place: Waukee, IA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.6005° N, 93.8604° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6005&lon=-93.8604&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5360D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5360D-2011-03-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dopita Robert A RANS S 9 (registry code 05612VJ, https://openairdocs.org/model/dopita-robert-a-rans-s-9) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR RANSS9
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX503
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 89 total, 42 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA142) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980507015379A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

BUZZED AUTO AUVTION SIGHT. STALLED AND SPUN INDURING PULLUP.              (.4)WITNESSES REPORTED THE PILOT WAS ATTENDING AN AUTO AUCTION WHICH HE LEFT TO GO GET HIS AIRPLANE.  IT IS REPORTED THE PILOT TOLD PEOPLE AT THE AUCTION THAT HE WAS GOING TO 'BUZZ' THEM AND THEY SHOULD WATCH FOR HIM.  WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE FLY OVER THE AUCTION AT AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 50 AND 100 FEET AGL.  THE AIRPLANE MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN AFTER WHICH IT ENTERED A STEEP LEFT TURN AND DESCENDED TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN.  ONE WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE RUNNING UNTIL IMPACT.  POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE.                                                                 (-23)^PRIVACY DATA O^, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF AN AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT, A RANS S9, WAS FATALLY INJURED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD NEXT TO AN AUTOMOBLIE AUCTION FACILITY NEAR WAUKEE, IA.  THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING AN AIRFIELD AT DESOTA, IA, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN STORED.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TERRAIN AFTER THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN DURING A TURN AFTER FLYING LOW OVER A SMALL GATHERING OF PE OPLE IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE AUCTION FACILITY. WITNESS ESTIMATES PLACED THE AIRCRAFT AS LOW AS 50 FEET.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA142), May 7, 1998: Bombardier Rans S-9 (N5360D), Waukee, IA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which resulted in a stall while performing intentional buzzing maneuvers.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.