X-Air Llc XA85 accident near Oskaloosa, IA

On December 23, 2017, a X-Air Llc XA85 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Oskaloosa, IA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

December 23, 2017

Place

Oskaloosa, IA

Aircraft

X-Air Llc XA85 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

41.344°N, 92.663°W

NTSB ID

20171223X73130

Official records · CEN18FA060

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 23, 2017, about 1420 central standard time, a light sport X-Air LLC XA85 airplane, N20XA, collided with power lines while maneuvering at low altitude near Oskaloosa, Iowa. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, departed Oskaloosa Municipal Airport (OOA), about 1345 with the intended destination of Marshalltown Municipal Airport (MIW), Marshalltown, Iowa. The pilot's partner reported that they had driven to OOA to retrieve the airplane after the left main tire was replaced because it had deflated during a landing at OOA on December 16. The plan was for the pilot to fly the airplane back to MIW by himself. After arriving at OOA, the airplane was pulled out of the hangar for a preflight inspection. The partner noted that it was extremely cold and that the pilot taxied the airplane between 5 and 10 minutes to warm up the engine before the flight while she configured the onboard GPS to navigate to Grinnell Regional Airport, Grinnell, Iowa, an intermediate airport along the direct route to MIW. After the engine had warmed up, the pilot taxied back to the fixed base operator (FBO), where he stopped the engine and the pilot's partner exited the airplane. The pilot's partner stated that she and the airport manager watched the pilot start the airplane, taxi to the runway, and take off about 1345. She noted that the

Probable cause

The pilot's low altitude flight into a power line due to his impairment from an acute physiologic event during the flight. Contributing to the pilot's impairment was his use of two sedating medications.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.