Beech 35-C33A accident near Amana, Iowa, September 7, 1997
On September 7, 1997, a Beech 35-C33A, registered N5729V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Amana, Iowa (Amana airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper planning/decision. The fence (location) was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 1997
- Place
- Amana, Iowa · Amana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33A · all 35-C33As on the register
- Registration
- N5729V · no longer on the register · serial CE-26
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In his written statement, the pilot said that during the airplane's takeoff run, 'I realized I wasn't getting flying speed and altitude - power was lacking. Because I was already halfway down this short grass airport, I pulled power, shut off switches, and kept the aircraft straight ahead.' Subsequently, the airplane went through a fence and came to rest in a field beyond the end of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomaly. According the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, at maximum gross weight (3,300 lbs), the airplane would have required a takeoff distance of about 1,700 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The runway was 2800 feet in length.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,415 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 1997; 116 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C11
- Destination: DSM Des Moines IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 2,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from CID, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.