Amateur-built T-Bird accident near Ft. Dodge, Iowa, December 4, 2004
On December 4, 2004 at about 8:30 pm local time, a amateur-built T-Bird (ultralight), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Ft. Dodge, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2004 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Dodge, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built T-Bird
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An unregistered experimental ultralight, piloted by an uncertificated pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain following a loss of engine power following takeoff from a private airstrip. The accident aircraft had reportedly not flown for several weeks and departed with a full tank of fuel. No anomalies were reported.
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
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax Unknown (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Ft. Dodge IA
- Destination: PVT Ft. Dodge IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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.