- Date
- November 25, 1985, 17:42 local (23:42 UTC)
- Place
- Des Moines, IA
- Injuries
- 7 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N81589Rockwell 500-S
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851125058059A
- Case key
- 34257
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
N81589 was flwg a Boeing 727 on ILS apch in IFR conds. Aprx 2.5 mi fm rwy, N81589 suddenly deviated left nrly 90 deg. 39 sec later, plt rprtd he enctrd svr turbc, then said he was trying to clb. N81589 subsequently flew thru tree tops on rising trrn for aprx 2 city blks, then hit pwr lns & a pole & crashed against a tree. No evidence of turbc due to wx at/nr apch alt. Inv showed 4.7 mi sepn btn acft when the 727 passed the point of dvn (pod). At pod, the 727 was on the ILS glide slope at 850'; N81589'S alt was not determined. Wnd was fm 120 deg at 3 to 6 KTS, shifting more southerly withalt. Prevailing vis was 1/2 mi; RVR for rwy 12L was 6000'; lgt rime icg was rprtd. Witnesses heard pwr interuption of 1 eng at pod; but there was no indcn of pwr loss where acft hit trees. Radar data showed acft slowed to 80 KTS at pod, accelerated to 100 KTS drg dvn, slowed to 70 KTS bfr impact; vmca was 74 KTS. Safety board believes the plt most likely lost control due to slow spd & lgt airframe icg; possibly enctrd wake turbc. No reason fnd for loss of eng pwr.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81589
- Reported as
- Rockwell 500-S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3297
- Airframe hours
- 3,185
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-E1B5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- Iowa State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 4, 1985 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- MKE · Milwaukee, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DSM · Des Moines Muni, runway 12L, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,020 total · 1,553 in this make and model · 6,838 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DSM, 2 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.