Aerotrike DPS accident near Brandon, Iowa, July 5, 2003
On July 5, 2003 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Aerotrike DPS, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brandon, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The non-certificated pilot selected unsuitable terrain for takeoff when he departed from a bean field, and the airplane stalled as a result of low airspeed during takeoff climb. Factors to the accident included the pilot's total lack of experience, the pilot's poor judgement, the bean field, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2003 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brandon, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerotrike DPS, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees and terrain during takeoff. The airplane was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pilot held no pilot certificates and had no medical certificate. A witness reported the airplane departed from a highway to the west. The pilot was seen landing the airplane in a bean field adjacent to the highway where he picked up one passenger. Once the passenger was seated, the pilot started a takeoff roll from the field to the south. The witness reported that when the airplane neared the trees at the end of the field, it "went straight up and went to the left and nose down into the trees." At 0954, the recorded weather at Waterloo Municipal Airport, located approximately 26 miles of the accident site, indicated the wind was 300 degrees at 6 knots.
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
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Brandon IA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from ALO, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 UNREG 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.