20231114021899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Alfred C Skinnell BD-4 EXPERIMENTAL CL · Lowell, IN · November 14, 2023

Date: November 14, 2023 · 13:30 local
Place: Lowell, IN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N931AS
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN24LA038
Reported as: Alfred C Skinnell BD-4 Experimental CL
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 407 total

N931ASRegistered now · Alfred C Skinnell BD-4 EXPERIMENTAL CLS/N 1359B · Built 2015 Airframe modelAlfred C Skinnell BD-4 EXPERIMENTAL CL Engine modelLycoming O-360-A1A4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On November 14, 2023, an experimental BD-4 single engine airplane operated by a pilot in command (PIC) as the sole occupant, departed lansing municipal airport (igq) enroute to way west airpark (50II) on a personal trip. Approximately 3 miles west of shelby, IN the engine began to shake violently. The PIC shut the engine down and brought the aircraft down in a soybean field approximately 500 feet west of the intersection of 235th ave and whitcomb street in Lowell, IN. After touchdown the aircraft flipped and came to rest upside down. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the PIC sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2023, AN EXPERIMENTAL BD-4 SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE OPERATED BY A PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, DEPARTED LANSING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (IGQ) ENROUTE TO WAY WEST AIRPARK (50II) ON A PERSONAL TRIP. APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WEST OF SHELBY, IN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE PIC SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A SOYBEAN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF 235TH AVE AND WHITCOMB STREET IN LOWELL, IN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PIC SUSTAINED NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN24LA038Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportLowell, INFatigue cracking of the propeller blade root, which resulted in the in-flight separation of the propeller blade from its root. Contributing to the accident was the improper machining of the blade root threads, which resulted in chatter/ratchet marks that…Nov 14, 2023 · Substantial damage