Stinson SR9 accident near Bode, Iowa, July 22, 2017
On July 22, 2017 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1937 Stinson SR9, registered N83K, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Bode, Iowa. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to take off from an unimproved bean field with insufficient length for the airplane to clear adjacent corn stalks.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2017 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bode, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Stinson SR9 E, built 1937 · all SR9s on the register
- Registration
- N83K · registry record · serial 5405
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he performed a precautionary landing in a bean field due to a rough-running engine. The pilot then had an airframe & powerplant mechanic look at the airplane and perform multiple engine run-ups. The rough-running engine was determined to be caused by carburetor ice. The pilot then loaded his two passengers into the airplane and attempted to take off from the bean field. He added that, as the airplane began to gain altitude, it approached the end of the open bean field. Subsequently, the landing gear contacted corn stalks in an adjacent field, descended into the corn field, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 10,773 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 10,156 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 8, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,702 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-760E-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXA Algona IA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: IA83 Livermore IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KAXA, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 18, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.