Iowa Aviation Reels
It was a bad weekend for aviators in Iowa. Over a period of just
two days, three aircraft went down in accidents across the state,
killing five people and left two others -- one of them an
eight-year old girl in critical condition.
The latest accident occurred in south central Iowa on Monday,
when a single-engine aircraft (type unknown) went down shortly
after take-off from Bloomfield Airport. A 68-year old woman died in
the mishap. Her 68-year old husband was rushed to the hospital,
where his condition has not been released.
Less than 12-hours before, a Christen Eagle II with two people
on board went down about five miles southeast of Iowa City. Both
men were killed. Witnesses said the aircraft appeared to be doing
aerobatic maneuvers when it sounded as if it had developed engine
problems.
"I just thought it was probably going to go up again because I
saw it dip before," 15-year old Gerald Bontrager told the Iowa City
Press-Citizen.
About three hours earlier, three people were killed and an
eight-year old girl critically injured when their Piper PA-28
impacted the ground shortly after take-off from West Union, IA.
"As I watched them go down the runway, it looked like he started
to bank right away, and as soon as they got up, it came down," said
a family member. The aircraft impacted the ground and immediately
burst into flames.
FAA Preliminary Accident Report: Iowa City, IA
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 85SM
Make/Model: EXP Description:
EXP-
Date: 03/27/2005 Time: 2345
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: IOWA CITY State: IA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON
BOARD WERE
FATALLLY INJURED, IOWA CITY, IA
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 2
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: CID CLR WIND27003KTALT2984
OTHER DATA
Departed: CEDAR RAPIDS,
IA
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: IOWA CITY,
IA
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: IOWA CITY, IA
Last Clearance:
FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA
(CE01)
Entry date: 03/28/2005
FAA Preliminary Accident Report:
West Union, IA
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 8966W
Make/Model: PA28 Description: PA-28
CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
Date: 03/27/2005 Time: 2025
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: WEST UNION State: IA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, LIFTED OFF RUNWAY AND CAME DOWN
SHARPLY AND CRASHED,
THERE WERE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD, THREE WERE FATALLY INJURED,
AND ONE IS
SERIOUSLY INJURED, WEST UNION, IA
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 3
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 3
Fat: 2 Ser:
1 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: METAR KDEH272055ZAUTO23006KT10SMCLR15/08A2987
OTHER DATA
Departed: WEST UNION,
IA
Dep Date: 03/27/2005 Dep. Time: 2025
Destination:
UNK
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA
(CE01)
Entry date: 03/28/2005