- Date
- March 4, 2002, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ankeny, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5985CBeech D35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020304007689A
- Case key
- 54335
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 excessive flare by the pilot. The icing conditions were a contributing factor.
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 was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The pilot returned to the departure airport after encountering icing conditions along his intended route of flight. He also stated that there was ice accumulation on the airplane and that the airplane stalled early during the landing flare.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 2002, at 1300 central standard time, a Beech D35, N5985C, owned and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a hard landing on runway 18 (5,500 feet by 100 feet, concrete) at the Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), Ankeny, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from the Ankeny Regional Airport at 1240.
The pilot reported in a written statement, "I departed IKV on [runway 18] and climbed to 3,000 [feet] on course to SPW (Spencer IA). I noticed some ice starting to form on the windshield. I called Flightwatch on [122.0]. They said only reported ice was 9000-12000 [feet]. I asked for weather to Spencer. They gave me the same weather I had gotten from FSS prior to departure. Ceiling 3200 broken, [possible] light snow flurries. Snow had passed to the east. As more ice started to form I decided to return to IKV. I called DSM approach for flight following when over Saylorville Lake. I was VFR. I proceeded to IKV. I did a normal pattern, but when flaring to land, the plane stalled early. The nose wheel hit the runway hard..."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5985C
- Reported as
- Beech D35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D3410
- Airframe hours
- 4,342
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Conrad W. Randell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 2002 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Destination
- SPW · Spencer, IA
- Airport
- IKV · Ankeny Regional Airport, runway 18, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 5, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- DSM, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N5985C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.