Rockwell 500-S accident near Des Moines, Iowa, November 25, 1985
On November 25, 1985 at about 11:42 pm local time, a Rockwell 500-S, registered N81589, was destroyed in an accident near Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines Muni airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- November 25, 1985 · about 11:42 pm local time
- Place
- Des Moines, Iowa · Des Moines Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 500-S
- Registration
- N81589 · registry record · serial 3297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N81589 WAS FLWG A BOEING 727 ON ILS APCH IN IFR CONDS. APRX 2.5 MI FM RWY, N81589 SUDDENLY DEVIATED LEFT NRLY 90 DEG. 39 SEC LATER, PLT RPRTD HE ENCTRD SVR TURBC, THEN SAID HE WAS TRYING TO CLB. N81589 SUBSEQUENTLY FLEW THRU TREE TOPS ON RISING TRRN FOR APRX 2 CITY BLKS, THEN HIT PWR LNS & A POLE & CRASHED AGAINST A TREE. NO EVIDENCE OF TURBC DUE TO WX AT/NR APCH ALT. INV SHOWED 4.7 MI SEPN BTN ACFT WHEN THE 727 PASSED THE POINT OF DVN (POD). AT POD, THE 727 WAS ON THE ILS GLIDE SLOPE AT 850'; N81589'S ALT WAS NOT DETERMINED. WND WAS FM 120 DEG AT 3 TO 6 KTS, SHIFTING MORE SOUTHERLY WITHALT. PREVAILING VIS WAS 1/2 MI; RVR FOR RWY 12L WAS 6000'; LGT RIME ICG WAS RPRTD. WITNESSES HEARD PWR INTERUPTION OF 1 ENG AT POD; BUT THERE WAS NO INDCN OF PWR LOSS WHERE ACFT HIT TREES. RADAR DATA SHOWED ACFT SLOWED TO 80 KTS AT POD, ACCELERATED TO 100 KTS DRG DVN, SLOWED TO 70 KTS BFR IMPACT; VMCA WAS 74 KTS. SAFETY BOARD BELIEVES THE PLT MOST LIKELY LOST CONTROL DUE TO SLOW SPD & LGT AIRFRAME ICG; POSSIBLY ENCTRD WAKE TURBC. NO REASON FND FOR LOSS OF ENG PWR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,020 hours in all; 1,553 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 6,838 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 1985; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Iowa State University
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 9:17 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from DSM, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.