Amateur-built RV 9 accident near Allison, Iowa, March 22, 2016
On March 22, 2016 at about 3:41 pm local time, a 2004 amateur-built RV 9, registered N347N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Allison, Iowa (Allison Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper soft-field landing technique, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2016 · about 3:41 pm local time
- Place
- Allison, Iowa · Allison Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV 9 A, built 2004
- Registration
- N347N · no longer on the register · serial 90347
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while landing on a grass airstrip, the nose landing gear "caught" on the soft turf and collapsed. The airplane slid about 60 feet, the forward portion of the fuselage impacted terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and firewall. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported to keep the nose landing gear off the ground longer during the landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 320 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 241 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 17, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 202.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru/Eggenfellner 2.5L (piston); 203 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C25 Waverly IA at 3:25 pm
- Destination: K98 Allison IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,790 ft by 175 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KCCY, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 20, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA and Pilot) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.