Piper PA-46P-350 accident near Des Moines, Iowa, November 27, 1989
On November 27, 1989 at about 11:26 pm local time, a Piper PA-46P-350, registered N919S, was destroyed in an accident near Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S). THE LIGHT CONDITIONS (DUSK) AND TREES IN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1989 · about 11:26 pm local time
- Place
- Des Moines, Iowa · Des Moines Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46P-350 · all PA-46P-350s on the register
- Registration
- N919S · registry record · serial 46-22076
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON AN ILS APCH AT DUSK IN IMC & ICING CONDS WITH THE ALTERNATE AIR ON. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE HAD JUST DSCNDD BELOW AN OVC, ON FINAL APCH, WHEN THE ENG LOST PWR & WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE APPLICATION. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WOODED AREA SHORT OF THE RWY & THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD. DRG AN EXAM OF THE ENG, THE TURBOCHARGER & WASTEGATE TRANSITION PIPES WERE FND SEPD AT THE FLANGE. CARBONACEOUS RESIDUE WAS FND IN THE AREA OF SEPN, BUT NO HEAT DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE GASKET, BOLTS, WASHERS & SELF-LOCKING NUTS (FOR HOLDING THE PIPES TOGETHER) WERE NOT FND. LATER, THE ENG RAN SUCCESSFULLY DRG AN OPNL CHECK. DRG THE INVESTIGATION, 3 SIMILAR CASES OF PIPE SEPN WERE IDENTIFIED, WHICH INVOLVED ANOTHER ACFT; THESE RESULTED IN ONLY PARTIAL LOSSES OF PWR. THE RGT FRONT SEAT PAX RPRTD SEEING A TRACE OF ICE ON THE WINGS AS THE ACFT WAS DSCNDG THRU CLOUDS. THE PITOT HEAT, STALL WARNING HEAT, & ICE LIGHT SWITCH WERE FND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. AT 1650 CST, THE TEMP & DEW POINT AT THE SURFACE WERE 36 & 35 DEG, RESPECTIVELY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,278 hours in all; 832 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 22, 1989; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Paramount Leasing Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: OMA Omaha NE at 10:34 pm
- Destination: DSM Des Moines IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30R, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:41 pm from DSM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN90FA027.