Piper PA-28-140 accident near Mount Ayr, Iowa, September 21, 2005
On September 21, 2005, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6266W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mount Ayr, Iowa (Mount Ayr airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of a wrong runway, and the misjudged distance/speed which resulted in an overrun. Contributing factors were the tailwind, and the ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2005
- Place
- Mount Ayr, Iowa · Mount Ayr · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6266W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20314
- 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 overran the end of runway 35 (2,600 feet by 40 feet, turf). The pilot reported the she had flown for about 10 minutes and returned to land. The pilot attempted to land on runway 35, but "did not feel right" so she performed a go-around. The pilot reported that she landed long on the second landing. She reported, "The wind was pushing me and I released the flaps and grabbed the brakes." The pilot reported that when the airplane overran the runway, she applied full right rudder and right brake to avoid the highway at the departure end of the runway. She reported the airplane hit a "drop off" and the nose gear broke. The propeller dug into the ground and the airplane stopped abruptly. The pilot reported that the winds were from the south at 7 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
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1Y3 Mount Ayr IA
- Destination: 1Y3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.