Alon A-2A accident near Rolfe, Iowa, July 31, 2011
On July 31, 2011 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Alon A-2A, registered N5647F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rolfe, Iowa. 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 decision to execute a precautionary landing to unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2011 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rolfe, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Alon A-2A · all A-2As on the register
- Registration
- N5647F · no longer on the register · serial B-247
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot applied carburetor heat twice during the flight to regain engine power. Following the second application of carburetor heat, he was not confident that the engine was producing full power and he elected to make a precautionary landing on a road; however, during the landing approach he noted power lines and a fence bordering the road. The pilot decided the road was not suitable for landing. Concerned that the engine was not performing well enough to execute a go-around, the pilot elected to continue the landing into a nearby cornfield. The airplane contacted the corn crop, a ditch, and a fence during the landing resulting in substantial damage to the wings and firewall. According to the Federal Aviation Administration icing probability chart, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power at the time of the accident.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) 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 › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,375 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 7, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2011; 20 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCY Charles City IA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: CKP Cherokee IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from FOD, 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 7, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.