# Accident 19980509015359A: Amtr BD5B, Falcon, CO, May 9, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 9, 1998, 14:00 local time
- Place: Falcon, CO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0304° N, 104.4806° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0304&lon=-104.4806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N194EC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N194EC-2000-04-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eller Richard E BD-5B (registry code 11307N9, https://openairdocs.org/model/eller-richard-e-bd-5b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR BD5B
- Reported engine: AMTR SUZUKI635
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,477 total, 2 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA211) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980509015359A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOW PASS OVER RUNWAY. CANOPY BLEW OFF. LOST CONTROL. CRASH LANDED. (.4)WHILE ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED A VIOLENT VIBRATION AND THE CANOPY PARTIALLY SEPARATED CAUSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE REDUCED.  TO PREVENT A STALL THE PILOT HAD TO MAINTAIN AN EXAGGERATED NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND CONDUCTED A FULL STALL HARD LANDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.  POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE WOODEN PROPELLER BLADES HAD CRACKED.  THE EXAMINATION DID NOT PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE BLADE STRIKE, WEAKNESS IN THE WOOD, OR INADEQUATE LAMINATE BONDING.                                                         (-23)THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 00V ON MAY 9, 1998 AT APPROXIMATELY 1325 MDT.  PILOT STAYED IN VICINITY OF AIRPORT AND CLIMBED TO 9500 FEET WHERE HE PERFORMED ROUTINE AIRWORK, STALLS, TURNS ETC.  AFTER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES HE DECENDED AND ENTERED TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 15.  THE PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY INSTEAD LANDING.  AT ABOUT MID FIELD THE CANOPY DEPLOYED TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION (CAUSE UNKNOWN) AND PARTIALLY BROKE LOOSE AND WENT BEHIND THE PILOTS HEAD OUT OF VIEW.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRC        AFT TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND ALSO LOSS POWER.  REASON FOR LOSS OF POWER UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.  PILOT CONTROLLED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE WEST WHILE LOOSING ALTITUDE AND EXPERIENCING AT LEAST ONE OF MORE STALLS.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPATCHED APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY AND MID FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 MDT.  THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA211), May 9, 1998: Eller BD-5B (N194EC), Falcon, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The vibration induced overload failure of the canopy holdback fitting resulting in reduced control capability. A factor was partial failure of one propeller blade for unknown reasons.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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