- Date
- July 5, 2003, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brandon, IA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- UNREGAerotrike DPS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Des Moines FSDO
- Case key
- 57442
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 non-certificated pilot selected unsuitable terrain for takeoff when he departed from a bean field, and the airplane stalled as a result of low airspeed during takeoff climb. Factors to the accident included the pilot's total lack of experience, the pilot's poor judgement, the bean field, and the trees.
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 sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees and terrain during takeoff. The airplane was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pilot held no pilot certificates and had no medical certificate. A witness reported the airplane departed from a highway to the west. The pilot was seen landing the airplane in a bean field adjacent to the highway where he picked up one passenger. Once the passenger was seated, the pilot started a takeoff roll from the field to the south. The witness reported that when the airplane neared the trees at the end of the field, it "went straight up and went to the left and nose down into the trees." At 0954, the recorded weather at Waterloo Municipal Airport, located approximately 26 miles of the accident site, indicated the wind was 300 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 2003, at 1030 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Aerotrike DPS airplane, which had not been registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, sustained substantial damage during takeoff. The airplane was departing on a local flight from a bean field near Brandon, Iowa, when it hit trees at the end of the field. The uncertificated pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed.
A witness reported the airplane took off to the west from highway 283. The pilot was seen landing the airplane in a bean field near highway 283 where he picked up one passenger. Once the passenger was seated, the pilot started a takeoff roll from the bean field to the south. The witness reported that when the airplane neared the trees at the end of the field, it "went straight up and went to the left and nose down into the trees."
At 0954, the recorded weather at Waterloo Municipal Airport, Waterloo, Iowa, located approximately 27 miles west from the accident site, was: Wind 300 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 25 degrees Celsius; dew point 19 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.93 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Aerotrike DPS
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Engine
- Bombardier 503, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary P. Kehm
- Departed
- Brandon, IA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- ALO, 26 nm away