Beech M35 accident near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, January 31, 1983
On January 31, 1983 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Beech M35, registered N9708R, was involved in an accident near Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cedar Rapids Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1983 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Cedar Rapids Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M35 · all M35s on the register
- Registration
- N9708R · registry record · serial D-6269
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT ENGINE FIRED AS THE PILOT HAND-PROPPED IT AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PILOT IN THE LEG. THE PILOT HAD TRIED THE STARTER BUT COULD NOT GET A START. HE TURNED THE SWITCHES OFF AND DECIDED TO PULL THE PROP THROUGH BY HAND. HE PULLED IT THROUGH BACKWARDS A FEW TIMES AND THEN TURNED IT IN THE NORMAL DIRECTION. THE ENGINE FIRED AND THE PROP STRUCKTHE PILOT'S LEG. THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS FOUND TO HAVE PLAY IN IT BUT DID CUT OFF WHEN POSITIONED AS FAR LEFT AS POSSIBLE. IT WAS LEFT SLIGHTLY OUT OF DETENT BY THE PILOT AS DETERMINED BY MOVEMENT OF THE SWITCH TOWARD OFF AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: 398 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,899 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 1982; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: OMA Omaha NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from CID
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.