Iowa Aviation Reels

It was a bad weekend for aviators in Iowa. Over a period of just two days, three aircraft went down in accidents across the state, killing five people and left two others -- one of them an eight-year old girl in critical condition.

The latest accident occurred in south central Iowa on Monday, when a single-engine aircraft (type unknown) went down shortly after take-off from Bloomfield Airport. A 68-year old woman died in the mishap. Her 68-year old husband was rushed to the hospital, where his condition has not been released.

Less than 12-hours before, a Christen Eagle II with two people on board went down about five miles southeast of Iowa City. Both men were killed. Witnesses said the aircraft appeared to be doing aerobatic maneuvers when it sounded as if it had developed engine problems.

"I just thought it was probably going to go up again because I saw it dip before," 15-year old Gerald Bontrager told the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

About three hours earlier, three people were killed and an eight-year old girl critically injured when their Piper PA-28 impacted the ground shortly after take-off from West Union, IA.

"As I watched them go down the runway, it looked like he started to bank right away, and as soon as they got up, it came down," said a family member. The aircraft impacted the ground and immediately burst into flames.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report: Iowa City, IA

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 85SM        Make/Model: EXP       Description: EXP-
  Date: 03/27/2005     Time: 2345

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: IOWA CITY   State: IA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLLY  INJURED, IOWA CITY, IA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: CID CLR WIND27003KTALT2984

OTHER DATA

  Departed: CEDAR RAPIDS, IA            Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: IOWA CITY, IA            Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: IOWA CITY, IA
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA  (CE01)                Entry date: 03/28/2005

FAA Preliminary Accident Report: West Union, IA

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 8966W        Make/Model: PA28      Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
  Date: 03/27/2005     Time: 2025

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: WEST UNION   State: IA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, LIFTED OFF RUNWAY AND CAME DOWN SHARPLY AND CRASHED,
  THERE WERE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD, THREE WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND ONE IS
  SERIOUSLY INJURED, WEST UNION, IA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3      Fat:   2     Ser:   1     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KDEH272055ZAUTO23006KT10SMCLR15/08A2987

OTHER DATA

  Departed: WEST UNION, IA              Dep Date: 03/27/2005   Dep. Time: 2025
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK

  FAA FSDO: DES MOINES, IA  (CE01)                Entry date: 03/28/2005

FMI: www.ntsb.gov