Cessna 172R accident near Dubuque, Iowa, March 9, 2004
On March 9, 2004 at about 3:55 am local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N105FS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dubuque, Iowa (Dubuque Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in ice accretion on the airframe, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall. Contributing factors were the ice contamination, the aircraft's low altitude and the flight instructor's flight into known icing conditions in an aircraft not equipped with deice/anti-icing equipment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2004 · about 3:55 am local time
- Place
- Dubuque, Iowa · Dubuque Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N105FS · no longer on the register · serial 17280797
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent. The instructional flight was being piloted by a certified flight instructor (CFI). He was initiating a missed approach when the loss of control occurred. The CFI reported that the aircraft was established in cruise flight on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan when it encountered light rime icing. He initially attempted to climb to avoid the icing area, however, aircraft performance had deteriorated significantly climbing through 7,400 feet mean sea level (msl). He then elected to descend. He reported that the flight "broke out of [the] clouds at 4,700 [feet] msl and leved off at 4,000 [feet msl]". He estimated that 1/4 inch of ice had accumulated on the wing leading edges at that point. The pilot decided to divert to an intermediate airport in order to remove the ice from the aircraft and evaluate the weather conditions. The flight was subsequently cleared for a visual approach. The CFI reported that after the approach, the flight was not in a position to land and he elected to execute a missed approach. He stated: "I applied full power and raised the nose to start a climb. I then banked the aircraft to the left to circle back around for landing. At this point the aircraft bucked and shook as if it was stalling. I lowered the nose to stop the stall and noticed the ground coming up quickly. I tried to slow the descent but the aircraft continued descending and impacted the ground." Airport personnel reported that 5/16 - 3/8 inch of ice accumulation was observed on all wing and stabilizer leading edges. An AIRMET for icing conditions was in effect at the time of the accident. Pilot reports for light rime and moderate mixed icing were on file prior to the flight's departure. Federal Aviation Administration publications note that ice accretion on an aircraft's wing can "significantly alter the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing" and that a "stall may occur with little or none of the usual cues in advance." The Cessna model 172R information manual states that flight into known icing conditions is prohibited.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,480 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 23, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,246.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 21, 2004; 33.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DSM Desmoines IA at 2:28 am
- Destination: MSN Madison WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 6,502 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from DBQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.