# Accident 20040822021039A: Cessna 172E, Decorah, IA, August 22, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 22, 2004, 13:30 local time
- Place: Decorah, IA
- Airport: Decorah Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.3542° N, 91.7667° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.3542&lon=-91.7667&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5410T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5410T-2006-08-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172E (registry code 2072412, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 139 total, 139 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI04FA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04FA234) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040822021039A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON AUGUST 22, 2004, PILOT TOOK OFF FROM DECORAH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, DECORAH, IOWA, IN A CESSNA 172-E, N5410T. WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT STATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND THAT HE HEARD THE PILOT PERFORMING HIS RUN-UP CHECKS. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT RUNNING TO THE REQUIRED RPM FOR TAKE OFF. WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPT TAKE OFF ON THE 4000 FOOT RUNWAY. THE WITNESS STATED THAT DURING THE TAKE OFF HE WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT ENTER THE AIR AND RETURN TO THE RUNWAY TWICE BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT ACHIEVED FLIGHT WITH LITTLE RUNWAY LEFT AND THE AIRCRAFT ACHIEVED LITTLE ALTITUDE. WITNESS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE DECORAH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH WITHOUT BACKFIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ESTIMATED AT 300-400 FEET AGL BEFORE FLYING TO THE NORTH. WITNESSES APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT WITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD NO ENGINE SOUND, NOSE DIVE INTO THE DITCH. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

## 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 CHI04FA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04FA234), Aug 22, 2004: Cessna 172E (N5410T), Decorah, IA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's intentional operation of the airplane with a defective magneto, his failure to abort the takeoff due to degraded aircraft performance, and his failure to obtain or maintain airspeed which…

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.

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