Piper PA-28-140 accident near Iowa City, Iowa, September 27, 1998
On September 27, 1998 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N7353J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A 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 27, 1998 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Iowa City, Iowa · Iowa City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7353J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed runway 30. He reported that immediately after liftoff, the engine 'seemed to lose a lot of its power.' The residential area offered no open area to do an emergency landing, so he landed the airplane in a small opening between two houses. The airplane fuselage went between two apple trees. The propeller exhibited minimal damage and chordwise scratching on one blade. The engine was run and it developed 2,450 RPM's and the magnetos, carburetor heat, and fuel selector operated normally. The fuel from the wing tanks could not be examined for contamination since the fuel had spilled out of the tanks when wings separated from the fuselage. The pilot reported that just prior to takeoff he had switched the fuel selector to the fullest tank after the engine run up.
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: 230 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 230 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,732 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 5, 1997; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IOW at 5:00 pm
- Destination: OQW Maquoketa IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:05 pm from IOW
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.