A pilot’s large dog likely hit his small plane’s controls, causing the aircraft to crash into an Iowa cornfield, federal investigators said.

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Jerry Naylor, 90, of Scotch Grove, Iowa, died in the July 2017 crash near Monticello Regional Airport, KCRG reported. His 75-pound dog survived.

Investigators believe the crash was the result of "the dog's likely contact with the flight controls during landing, which resulted in the pilot's loss of airplane control and a subsequent aerodynamic stall when the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack," the National Transportation Safety Board said in its report released Monday.

The small-two seat plane was mechanically sound, investigators said.

Naylor was an experienced pilot who frequently flew with his dog.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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