There were 16 aviation accidents in the state during 2023, including one locally, and one of the accidents resulted in a fatality.
Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation say the number of aviation accidents was up 33 percent from 2022. DOT officials say the state has averaged 13 accidents over the last five years.
One of the incidents this past year occurred near Alta which involved a crop dusting plane that encountered a dust devil, causing the plane to come into contact with power lines. According to the DOT report, the pilot made an emergency landing in the field he was spraying. The aircraft received substantial damage, but there were no injuries.
The report says the fatal crash involved a crop dusting plane that flew into some wires near Denison. The pilot was hospitalized and ended up dying of injuries sustained in the crash two-and-a-half weeks later.
