# Accident 19981203032879A: Beech 58, Ankeny, IA, December 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 3, 1998, 05:00 local time
- Place: Ankeny, IA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7205° N, 93.6002° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7205&lon=-93.6002&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7278R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7278R-1999-07-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 58 (registry code 1152740, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 58
- Reported engine: CONT IO520C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,431 total, 133 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA045) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981203032879A

## Narrative

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

ACFT CRASHED INTO A CORN FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. (.19) ON DECEMBER 3, 1998, AT 0500 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 58, N7278R, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN, ONE-QUARTER MILE SOUTH OF TODDFIELD, NEAR ANKENY, IOWA. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT REPORTED IMC CONDITIONS DURING THE TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 17. HE TOLD FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS THAT THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF NEAR THE END OF THE 2,300 FOOT RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AS A 14 CFR PART 91 REPOSITIONING FLIGHT WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PICKING UP A PASSENGER UNDER PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 135, ON DEMAND AIR-TAXI. (.4) DURING INITIAL CLIMB THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO THE TERRAIN.  THE PILOT SAID THAT WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO ROTATE THE AIRPLANE FOR LIFTOFF, THERE WAS RESISTANCE ON THE YOKE.  HE CONTINUED TO SAY THAT AS THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF THE RESISTANCE GAVE WAY AND THE AIRPLANE 'POPPED' INTO THE AIR.  HE SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 25 TO 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL PRIOR TO DESCENDING INTO THE TERRAIN.  A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION O                                               F OF THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO REVEAL THE NATURE OF THE RESISTANCE. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS COMPROMISED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE.

## 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 CHI99LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA045), Dec 3, 1998: Beech 58 (N7278R), Ankeny, IA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the elevator control system jammed for undetermined reasons.

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.