Bucker Flugzeugbau JUNGMANN accident near Blakesburg, Iowa, September 1, 1997
On September 1, 1997 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Bucker Flugzeugbau JUNGMANN, registered N131G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blakesburg, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1997 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Blakesburg, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bucker Flugzeugbau JUNGMANN
- Registration
- N131G · registry record · serial E3B-391
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the '...engine suffered [a] dramatic loss of power...' about 10 minutes after takeoff. He said he could not restart the engine and made a forced landing in the '...best available field... .' The airplane collided with a power line during its final approach and nosed onto the ground. The on-site examination revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine that would prevent flight. Fuel was found in the engine s fuel lines and fuel injection pump. About a teaspoon of water was found in the gascolator. Water was not found in the fuel lines or injector manifold. Attempts to have the fuel injection pump examined at the manufacturer in the Czech Republic, with the Federal Aviation Administration's assistance was made. The FAA was unable to participate because the engine is not certificated under the FAA's regulations. The Czech Civil Aviation Authority and engine manufacturer examined the fuel injection pump. The examination revealed the pump operated within the manufacturer's specifications.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,206 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,136 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 98 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1996; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lom M332AK (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5C2 at 3:25 pm
- Destination: 5C2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from OTM, 10 miles away
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.
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.