Amateur-built RV9 accident near Sac City, Iowa, November 3, 2010
On November 3, 2010 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RV9, registered N475TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sac City, Iowa (Sac City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control while landing with a gusting wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2010 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sac City, Iowa · Sac City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV9
- Registration
- N475TW · no longer on the register · serial 90475
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the weather information he obtained en route indicated that the wind at his destination airport was from 300 degrees at 25 knots. The airplane encountered turbulence and wind gusts while on final approach and, despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane impacted terrain off the right side of the runway. The wind reported 25 miles from the accident site, about 15 minutes after the accident, was from 310 degrees at 23 knots gusting to 33 knots. The wings, firewall, and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › (general) › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 305 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 240 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 446 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 7, 2010; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Nsi EJ25 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H2 Effingham IL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SKI Sac City IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,350 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 23 knots, gusting 33
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 am from CIN, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N475TW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.