The National Transportation Safety Board has released new details of a September plane crash near the Le Mars Municipal Airport.
A report from the board, cited by the Daily Sentinel, says pilot Robert Tompkins had just taken off from the airport when a gust of wind lowered the left wing of the single-engine plane and the aircraft’s ailerons, which control some movements, were unresponsive. Tompkins tried to level the plane but it stalled and crashed into a corn field west of the runway.
The 42-year-old Tompkins, of Le Mars, suffered minor injuries in the Sept. 24 crash.
The plane was destroyed. Damage was estimated at $30,000.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Hurricane Isaias Reaches Category 3 as It Nears Florida, Alabama
1MDB Has Proposal for Settlement With Deutsche Bank
TikTok Accused by NY of Running Secret Safety Tests on Teens
Hordes of Teens on E-Bikes Force Suburbs to Rewrite Road Rules