Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ankeny Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ankeny, Iowa 50021
Friday, January 11, 2013 23:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that before arriving at his destination airport in night visual meteorological conditions, he listened to the automated weather observing system, which indicated wind from 220 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The pilot aborted his first attempt to land after a bounced landing. During the second approach to land, the pilot observed the visual approach slope indicator rapidly transition from both white (indicating high on the glideslope) to both red (indicating low on the glideslope) and decided to perform a go-around. During the attempted go-around, the airplane’s left wing struck a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot then landed the airplane without further incident on his third landing attempt. The pilot stated that the airplane’s interior lighting was too bright for the night conditions and that the bright runway lights in the dark rural setting gave him a “false sense of night vision.”
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glide path to the runway in gusty wind conditions and his failure to maintain clearance from obstructions during the subsequent go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper interior lighting configuration.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/11/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2330 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Ankeny |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 50021 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414128N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0933359W |
| Event Location Airport | Ankeny Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KIKV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 910 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2255 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 40 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KIKV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 910 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 26 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31048 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 25 2013 4:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N897GA |
| NTSB Number | CEN13CA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AMERICAN GENERAL ACFT CORP |
| Aircraft Model | AG5B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10076 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4519 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Above and Beyond Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ankeny |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 50021 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | David Luers |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Fort Dodge |
| Operator State | IA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 50501 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KCGI |
| Departure City | Cape Girardeau |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2030 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KIKV |
| Destination City | Ankeny |
| Destination State | IA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 15 2013 1:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | linj-i |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 22 |
| Runway Length | 3855 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |