The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines, Iowa
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas
Location: Oxford, IA
Accident Number: CEN21FA207
Date & Time: May 2, 2021, 15:52 Local
Registration: N1215M
Aircraft: Cessna T210M
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On May 2, 2021, at 1552 central daylight time, a Cessna T210M airplane, N1215M, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Oxford, Iowa. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to preliminary air traffic control information, the pilot contacted the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, control tower and reported that he was going to perform touch and go maneuvers at Green Castle Airport (IA24), Oxford, Iowa, which was located about 8 miles south of CID.
A witness, who was located adjacent to the runway at IA24, reported the airplane entered a left traffic pattern for runway 15 (4,000 ft x 60 ft). After touchdown, the airplane bounced, and the right wing lifted up to an estimated 45° angle. The airplane’s wings then leveled, and the airplane bounced a second time. The airplane landed, exited the runway surface to the left, and entered a harvested corn field. The witness then heard the engine rpm increase to full power, and the airplane attempted to take off from the field. The airplane struck a power pole and power line near the corner of the harvested corn field. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and a postaccident fire ensued. The witness estimated the winds to be from the west about 25 to 30 knots.
The airplane wreckage was located in a harvested corn field about 750 ft east from the end of runway 15. Landing gear tire marks, consistent with the accident airplane’s landing gear, were noted in the harvested corn field adjacent to the runway and measured about 1,200 ft in length. The distance from the end of the tire marks to the power pole/power line was about 300 ft. The image in figure 1 shows the end of runway 15, tire marks in the field, power lines, and accident
site with the postaccident fire damage.
Figure 1. Image showing the end of runway 15, tire marks in the field, power lines, and accident site with the postaccident fire damage.
A separated outboard section of the left wing was located between the power pole and main wreckage. The main wreckage, which was consumed by fire, consisted of the fuselage, empennage, engine, and propeller assembly. The propeller assembly was separated from the engine crankshaft and found embedded in the soft terrain. Flight control continuity was established to all flight control surfaces and cockpit flight controls.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N1215M
Model/Series: T210M
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCID,868 ft msl
Observation Time: 15:52 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 8 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C /14°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 19 knots / 27 knots, 200°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.5 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Iowa City, IA
Destination: Oxford, IA
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 41.752565,-91.718851 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
Dr. Dale Bieber
TIFFIN - A University of Iowa doctor and clinical professor was practicing landing and takeoff techniques when he was involved in a fatal plane crash earlier this month.
According to an aviation accident preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, Dr. Dale Bieber, 73, contacted the Eastern Iowa Airport control tower around 3:52 p.m. May 2 and informed personnel there that he was going to perform “touch and go maneuvers” at the Green Castle Airport. In a touch and go landing, the pilot prepares to land, briefly touches down and then takes off without coming to a stop.
The preliminary report states that the witness saw Bieber’s Cessna T210M touchdown and bounce, with the right wing lifting up to “an estimated 45 degree angle.” Bieber leveled the plane and bounced a second time, the witness reported.
Authorities said Bieber landed the plane and exited the runway into a field. The witness reported hearing the engine increase to full power as Bieber attempted to take off from the field.
The report states Bieber’s plane hit a power pole and power line near the corner of the field.
“Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and a post accident fire ensued,” the report states.
According to the University of Iowa, Bieber was a clinical professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and internist with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics since 2007.
The pilot who died in a plane crash in a Tiffin farm field Sunday has been identified as 73-year-old Dale Bieber of Coralville.
Bieber worked as a doctor and clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Carver College of Medicine.
Friends on Facebook circulated a message from Bieber's wife, Carla, who wrote:
"I am comforted only in remembering that he was an amazing, kind man who gave me (and others) so much in his lifetime. I suspect many of you will grieve as I will. He would want us to celebrate him — not be sad for his passing — and I will endeavor to pretend I can do that. God Bless."
Dale Bieber, 73, died in a plane crash near Tiffin on Sunday.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash at 250th Street and Greencastle Avenue Northwest near Tiffin at around 4 p.m. Sunday. Witnesses called 911 to report an airplane was seen crashing into a farm field near the Green Castle Airport.
The plane crashed under unknown circumstances, according to preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Cessna T210M Turbo Centurion was destroyed.
Bieber was the only one on board.
In a video posted on the UIHC web page, Bieber said he was originally from Pennsylvania but lived in Nigeria until he was 14. His parents were missionaries.
Bieber received a masters degree in physiology from Pennsylvania State University and an M.D. from the Penn State College of Medicine. He specialized in internal and geriatric medicine.
Before coming to Iowa, Bieber spent two decades working as a doctor in a town of 500 people in Pennsylvania, he said in the video.
"It was my dream come true to do what I wanted in a small town," Bieber said in the video. "People in the restaurant would say, 'Hi, doc. How are you doing?' In the grocery store would say, 'What's wrong with my finger here?' It was just a wonderful small town environment to be in."
Bieber said he was a "small-town person in my heart," and while in Pennsylvania, sung in a barbershop chorus and worked as the church choir director.
TIFFIN, Iowa (KWWL) -- The Johnson County Sheriff's Office has identified the victim in a plane crash in rural Tiffin on Sunday afternoon as 73-year-old Dale Bieber of Coralville.
911 calls were received from witnesses stating an airplane was observed near the Greencastle Airport and shortly after the plane crashed into a neighboring farm field.
Bieber was the only occupant of the single-engine aircraft and authorities say he died at the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are continuing to investigate the incident.
An agent for the National Transportation Safety Board finished a site evaluation Monday and a spokesperson for the agency says preliminary reports indicate the plane crashed while landing at the small private airport.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, North Liberty Police Department, Tiffin Fire Department, Oxford Fire Department, Johnson County Emergency Management, Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center, and Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Johnson County Sheriff's Office
On May 2, 2021, at 3:52pm, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a plane crash at 250th St & Greencastle Ave NW in rural Tiffin, Iowa.
911 calls were received from witnesses stating an airplane was observed near the Green Castle Airport and shortly after the plane crashed into a neighboring farm field.
The pilot of the single-engine aircraft has been confirmed deceased.
The name of the individual is being withheld until family notification can be completed.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will be joining the investigation.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, North Liberty Police Department, Tiffin Fire Department, Oxford Fire Department, Johnson County Emergency Management, and Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Accident Number: CEN17LA148
Date & Time: April 5, 2017, 14:10 Local
Registration: N1215M
Aircraft: Cessna T210M
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Landing gear collapse
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Positioning
Analysis
The commercial pilot reported that, before the accident flight, the airplane had been experiencing intermittent landing gear problems and that the purpose of the flight was to bring the airplane to a maintenance facility to examine the landing gear system. He added that, before the flight, the landing gear circuit breaker was pulled out "in order to keep the gear in the down position and eliminate the gear warning horn" for the flight. While landing, the pilot noticed that the left wing slightly dropped after touchdown, and the pilot corrected with aileron to maintain the runway centerline. Shortly thereafter, the pilot could feel the right main landing gear (MLG) slowly collapse. The pilot was unable to maintain the airplane on the runway centerline, and the airplane exited the runway surface. The airplane came to rest upright with the right MLG collapsed, and the right horizontal stabilizer was bent.
During a postaccident examination, the landing gear were retracted and extended multiple times. Each gear retraction was normal; however, the gear extension cycles resulted in the left MLG and nose landing gear extending and locking, and the right MLG extending with no movement from the downlock actuator. The actuator was removed for further examination, and it was difficult to move. After removal, the actuator released, and the internal spring mechanism freely moved the actuator. The actuator was disassembled with no internal problems noted.
According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, Section 3, "Emergency Procedures, Landing Gear Malfunction Procedures," the landing gear pump circuit breaker was to be positioned to the "in" position for all landing gear malfunction scenarios.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The malfunction of the right main landing gear actuator for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the improper decision to disengage the landing gear system circuit breaker before the flight, which was contrary to the manufacturer-recommended procedures.
Findings
Aircraft Landing gear actuator - Malfunction
Not determined (general) - Unknown/Not determined
Personnel issues Incorrect action selection - Other
Personnel issues Decision making/judgment - Pilot
Personnel issues Use of policy/procedure - Pilot
Factual Information
On April 5, 2017, at 1410 central daylight time, a Cessna 210M single-engine airplane, N1215M, experienced a right main landing gear collapse at the Detroit Lakes Airport (DTL), Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer. The airplane was registered to Great
Plains Leasing, LLC, Dickinson, North Dakota, and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed the Moorhead Municipal Airport (JKJ), Moorhead, Minnesota, about 1350.
According to the pilot, before the accident flight, the airplane had been experiencing intermittent landing gear problems, and the purpose of the flight was to bring the airplane to a maintenance facility at DTL to examine the landing gear system. Before the flight, the landing gear circuit breaker was pulled out "in order to keep the gear in the down position and eliminate the gear warning horn" for the flight to DTL. While landing at DTL, the pilot noticed the left wing slightly dropped after touchdown, and the pilot corrected with aileron to maintain runway centerline. Shortly thereafter, the pilot could feel the right main landing gear slowly collapse. The pilot was unable to maintain the airplane on runway centerline, and the airplane exited the runway surface. The airplane came to rest upright with the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right horizontal stabilizer was bent.
On April 18, 2017, the airplane was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and a mechanic. During the initial examination, the landing gear was retracted and extended multiple times. Each gear retraction was normal, and the gear extension cycle resulted in the left main and nose gear extending and locking, and the right gear extending with no movement from the downlock actuator. After loosening the hydraulic line fittings at the downlock actuator, hydraulic fluid was present at the actuator. The actuator was removed for further examination, and was found difficult to move. According to the inspector, after removal, the actuator released, and the internal spring mechanism freely moved the actuator. The actuator was disassembled with no internal problems noted.
On April 24, 2017, a former pilot of the accident airplane stopped into the FAA office in Fargo, North Dakota, to discuss the accident. According to the pilot, he had previously flown the airplane in September 2016 from DTL to JKJ, and experienced an unsafe gear warning horn and advised the airplane owners. During his landing, he landed with the landing gear pump circuit break in and the gear warning horn functioning. He stated that with the landing gear pump operating (circuit breaker in), the pump pressure on the landing gear actuator held the gear in the "saddle" until the airplane was on the ground. The weight of the wheels would then keep the gear in the down position. To his knowledge, the airplane had been in storage since his flight.
According to the Cessna Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), Section 3, Emergency Procedures, Landing Gear Malfunction Procedures, all landing gear malfunction scenarios listed in the POH require the landing gear pump circuit breaker to be in the "IN" position.
History of Flight
Landing-flare/touchdown Landing gear collapse (Defining event)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Commercial
Age: 39, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap only
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: July 25, 2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: July 31, 2016
Flight Time: 1080 hours (Total, all aircraft), 1 hours (Total, this make and model), 300 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 64 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 9 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N1215M
Model/Series: T210M M
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 21061924
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 5
Date/Type of Last Inspection: August 29, 2016 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3803 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 1 Hrs
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 5810 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-520 SER
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 300 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: DTL
Distance from Accident Site:
Observation Time: 14:13 Local
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 12 knots / 15 knots
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction: 350°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 8°C / -2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Moorhead, MN (JKJ)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Detroit Lakes, MN (DTL)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 13:50 Local
Type of Airspace: Class E
Airport Information
Airport: Detroit Lakes Airport DTL
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 1397 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 31 IFR
Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 4500 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop; Traffic pattern
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 46.825279,-95.885559(est)
