- Date
- January 21, 2002, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Iowa Falls, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9248DPiper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020121007729A
- Case key
- 54062
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and the subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind and the rough terrain encountered.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane nosed over following a loss of control during landing. The pilot reported the winds were from 240 degrees at 11 knots and the landing was being made on runway 31. He reported he lowered the left wing and applied right rudder during the approach to compensate for the crosswind. The pilot reported that the airplane bounced during the landing and he did not react quickly enough by once again lowering the wing. He reported the wind lifted the left wing so that the airplane was on the right main gear only. He reported that it seemed the airplane was going to ground loop. He applied right rudder to stop the ground loop, but by that time the airplane was off the side of the runway. The airplane traveled into a plowed bean field where it nosed over and tipped onto the right wing.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 2002, at 1615 central standard time, a Piper PA-22-160, N9248D, operated by a private pilot, collided with the terrain following a loss of control while landing on runway 31 (4,001 feet by 75 feet, dry asphalt) at the Iowa Falls Municipal Airport (IFA), Iowa Falls, Iowa. The pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was being operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated at Dubuque, Iowa, at 1430 central standard time.
The pilot reported that he checked the weather for the area surrounding IFA prior to the flight and again while en route. He reported that the winds at Waterloo, 46 miles east, were from 240 degrees at 11 knots. The pilot reported that upon reaching IFA, he flew over the airport and confirmed the winds were as he expected. He reported that he knew he was going to have a crosswind, so he lowered the left wing and applied right rudder during the approach. The pilot reported that the airplane bounced during the landing and "...since I was not expecting that I did not react quickly enough by once again lowering the wing." He reported the wind lifted the left wing so that the airplane was on the right main gear only. He reported that it seemed the airplane was going to ground loop and he applied right rudder to stop the ground loop, but by this time the airplane was off the side of the runway. The airplane traveled into a plowed bean field where it nosed over and tipped onto the right wing.
Inspection of the airplane revealed the nose gear was collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and buckling was present between the wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9248D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6308
- Airframe hours
- 2,396.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mark G. McGovern
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2001 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- DBQ · DuBuque, IA
- Destination
- IFA · Iowa Falls, IA
- Airport
- IFA · Iowa Falls Municipal, runway 31, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 13, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 394 total · 66 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- ALO, 46 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 358 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.