- Date
- October 4, 1992, 12:47 local (17:47 UTC)
- Place
- Larchwood, IA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N330RMRichard O. Middlen Glasair III SH-3R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921004039919A
- Case key
- 15567
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-in-command's intentional low pass and his inadequate visual lookout.
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 amateur built airplane was observed in low level cruise flight over a highway. The airplane struck electric transmission wires stretched across a road and crashed in an adjacent field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N330RM
- Reported as
- Richard O. Middlen Glasair III SH-3R (GLASAIR II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3153
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-P1A5, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Middlen, Richard O
- Registered owner
- Middlen, Richard O
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 1992
- Departed
- FSD · Sioux Falls, SD
- Destination
- FSD
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 848 total · 124 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FSD, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.