- Date
- July 22, 2017, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bode, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N83KStinson SR9
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170722012589A
- Case key
- 95645
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 decision to take off from an unimproved bean field with insufficient length for the airplane to clear adjacent corn stalks.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he performed a precautionary landing in a bean field due to a rough-running engine. The pilot then had an airframe & powerplant mechanic look at the airplane and perform multiple engine run-ups. The rough-running engine was determined to be caused by carburetor ice. The pilot then loaded his two passengers into the airplane and attempted to take off from the bean field. He added that, as the airplane began to gain altitude, it approached the end of the open bean field. Subsequently, the landing gear contacted corn stalks in an adjacent field, descended into the corn field, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, he performed a precautionary landing in a bean field due to a rough running engine. The pilot then had an Airframe & Powerplant mechanic look at the airplane and perform multiple engine runups. The rough running engine was determined to be caused by carburetor ice. The pilot then loaded his two passengers into the airplane and attempted to takeoff from the bean field. He added that, as the airplane began to gain altitude, the airplane approached the end of the open bean field. Subsequently, the landing gear encountered corn stalks in an adjacent field, descended into the corn field and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83K
- Reported as
- Stinson SR9 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5405
- Built
- 1937
- Airframe hours
- 3,702
- Engine
- Wright R-760E-2, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 2017
- Departed
- AXA · Algona, IA
- Destination
- IA83 · Livermore, IA
- Equipment
- None
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 8, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 10,773 total · 440 in this make and model · 10,156 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KAXA, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.