- Date
- October 12, 1982, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Le Mars, IA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9035ACessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821012052199A
- Case key
- 71395
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot was on a power line patrol mission with an observer on board. According to him, the wind was from the west at about 20 KTS and he was flying east along a line that made a 90 degree turn to the north. At that point, he began a 270 degree turn to the right to follow the line north. However, about half way through the turn, he saw that if he continued, the turn would take him over a farmyard and cattle. He reversed the turn back to the left, toward the east. As he rolled out of the left turn going downward, the aircraft stalled. He attempted to recover, but there was insufficient altitude and the plane crashed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9035A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18790
- Airframe hours
- 2,623
- Engine
- Continental C-145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- M&B Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Rand A. Powers
- Departed
- Le Mars, IA
- Destination
- Le Mars, IA
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
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 15,905 total · 325 in this make and model · 15,555 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 140 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.