Piper PA-34-200 accident near Marion, Iowa, August 9, 1994
On August 9, 1994 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N234KB, was destroyed in an accident near Marion, Iowa (Marion airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE AIRCRAFT PRELIGHT AND HIS FAILURE TO REMOVE THE FROST FROM THE WINDSHIELD WHICH OBSTRUCTED HIS VIEW.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1994 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Iowa · Marion · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N234KB · registry record · serial 34-7350251
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY IN PREPARATION FOR TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED HE LINED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TO DEPART ON THE GRASS IN ORDER TO AVOID AN AREA OF LOOSE GRAVEL WHICH WAS LOCATED AT THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM SEVERAL OF THE PASSENGERS ABOARD THE AIRPLANE, THE WINDSHIELD OF THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY OBSCURED WITH FROST DURING TAXI AND ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER APPLYING FULL POWER FOR TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT THEN APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING IMPACTED AN AIRPLANE WHICH WAS PARKED ALONG SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. A SECOND AND THIRD IMPACT OCCURRED WITH TWO OTHER PARKED AIRPLANES BEFORE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,578 hours in all; 388 in this make and model; 173 in the last 90 days; 78 in the last 30 days; 5,439 as pilot in command; 1,844 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,977 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1994; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 17, 2,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 am from CID, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 2 |
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.