- Date
- June 30, 1989, 17:44 local (22:44 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic, IA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6131MMaule MX-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 34700
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering at low altitude, which led to an inadvertent stall and loss of control. A contributing factor was the lack of altitude to recover from a stall.
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 public use acft was being used by the Iowa state highway patrol to search for a missing person. Ground searchers in the area rprtd the acft was flying at an altitude of about 100 to 150 ft AGL, when it was observed to enter a steep bank, apchg 90 deg. The turn was made to circle back & keep sight of someone believed to be the missing person. While turning, the acft suddenly entered a nose down attitude & impacted the ground. A post-acdnt inspn of the acft did not reveal any preimpact mechanical failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6131M
- Reported as
- Maule MX-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11062C
- Airframe hours
- 113
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Registered owner
- Iowa State Highway Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 5, 1989 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- AIO · Atlantic, 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,357 total · 64 in this make and model · 1,160 as pilot in command · 114 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg