Cessna 402B accident near Spencer, Iowa, November 29, 1997
On November 29, 1997 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N22NC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spencer, Iowa (Spencer Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failure to comply with the prescribed IFR procedure and his not following his company's operations specifications. Low clouds and fog were are contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 1997 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spencer, Iowa · Spencer Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N22NC · registry record · serial 402B0227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- 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 made four missed ILS approaches at the airport. He stated that he did not see the approach lights during any of the approaches and did not feel comfortable making a landing. The reported visibility during these approaches was 1/2-statute mile. On the fifth approach the pilot said he had '...mistaken closely inline cars and a road for the MALSR and runway.' He pilot stated the airplane continued to descend after initiating a go-around. He said he saw on-coming traffic in front of him, and turned the airplane to the right. He said he lost altitude and the right wing struck the ground. The pilot's employers operations specification require a 1/4-mile increase in visibility for an ILS approach that does not have an operating approach lighting system. The approach lights were checked by the airport manager and were confirmed to be in working order. An on-scene investigation revealed no pre-accident airframe or engine anomalies that would have prevented normal flight.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,712 hours in all; 197 in this make and model; 214 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 197 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,998 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 19, 1997; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CID Cedar Rapids IA at 12:40 pm
- Destination: SPW
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from SPW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI98LA050.