Piper PA-22-160 accident near Iowa Falls, Iowa, January 21, 2002
On January 21, 2002 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-160, registered N9248D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iowa Falls, Iowa (Iowa Falls 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and the subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident were the crosswind and the rough terrain encountered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2002 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Iowa Falls, Iowa · Iowa Falls Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9248D · registry record · serial 22-6308
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over following a loss of control during landing. The pilot reported the winds were from 240 degrees at 11 knots and the landing was being made on runway 31. He reported he lowered the left wing and applied right rudder during the approach to compensate for the crosswind. The pilot reported that the airplane bounced during the landing and he did not react quickly enough by once again lowering the wing. He reported the wind lifted the left wing so that the airplane was on the right main gear only. He reported that it seemed the airplane was going to ground loop. He applied right rudder to stop the ground loop, but by that time the airplane was off the side of the runway. The airplane traveled into a plowed bean field where it nosed over and tipped onto the right wing.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 394 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 320 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,396.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DBQ Dubuque IA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: IFA Iowa Falls IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from ALO, 46 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI02LA068.