Grumman AA5 accident near Boone, Iowa, September 2, 1985
On September 2, 1985 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Grumman AA5, registered N16LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boone, Iowa. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1985 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Boone, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Grumman AA5
- Registration
- N16LB · registry record · serial A5B-0988
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTING LAPORTE CITY AIRPORT THE PLT OF THE ACFT PROCEEDED TO HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT DESPITE DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THIS DESTINATION. THE PLT STATED HE SHOULD NOT HAVE PROCEEDED INTO POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE AIRPORT AS REPORTED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER WERE VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE IN FOG. AT THE TIME HE HEARED AND SAW THE ACFT. HE ALSO OBSERVED THE ACFT BANKED NEAR VERTICAL AS THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LANDING TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. THE ACFT WAS THEN OBSERVED DESCENDING UNTIL IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE PLT STATED HE DIDN'T REALIZE HE HAD STALLED THE ACFT.
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: 375 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 345 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 361 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1985; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6C8 Laporte City IA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: BNW Boone IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from DSM, 30 miles away
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 MKC85LA204.