Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Denison, Iowa 51442
Friday, October 22, 1999 18:15 CDT

A witness said the accident pilot had flown with another pilot earlier in the day and flew at a 'lower altitude, in the bumps, where the groundspeed was higher.' The witness said, 'They also mentioned that while down low, after hitting a bump, the ELT (emergency locator transmitter) activated.' The witness stated that on the accident flight the pilot indicated he was going to climb higher, be out of the turbulence, and accept the slow groundspeed. A witness in the Carroll, Iowa area stated he saw the airplane fly overhead on a northwest heading, in windy and gusty conditions, and saw the airplane fly below the top of a corncrib. Another witness saw the plane clear the 25 to 30 feet powerlines by a couple feet. A third witness said the weather was very windy and the airplane flew overhead at 2 tree lengths of 35 feet. At 1825, the weather was: Wind 320 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 18 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 10 degrees C; dew point -3 degrees C; altimeter 30.15 inches of mercury. At 1815, the altitude and azimuth of the sun to be -9.2 degrees and 263.2 degrees respectively. Civil twilight was 1858. An on-scene examination of the accident revealed the wreckage distribution was in the northwest direction. The terrain in the accident site rose to the northwest and north. No preimpact anomalies were found. The pilot was fatally injured.

the pilot not maintaining altitude/clearance from rising terrain and the intentional low altitude flight. Factors were the known turbulence, rising terrain, and the inadequate in-flight decision to fly at low altitudes.