What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On our return home from flying/camping for the week in the Idaho backcountry, my privacy data omitted and I departed Battle Mountain Airport, NV early on the morning of Friday, June 13th, 2025, headed towards lone pine airport, CA (and then from there home to kernville, CA) in my experimental ‘bushwagon’ privacy data omitted (modified Piper pacer). We climbed to approximately 9500’+/- and called salt lake center for flight following. At approximately 7:10AM+/-, our engine suddenly went from smooth to intense vibration with what felt/sounded like a large ‘pop’ at the same time and immediate loss of thrust. Thinking we had lost either a cylinder or propeller and expecting a possible total engine failure at any moment, I immediately pulled the throttle back to idle and pitched the airplane for glide towards an emergency landing spot to a dirt road near a farm and paved highway below us. Compared to cruise RPM, the vibration reduced considerably with throttle at idle. The controller asked the usual questions about souls on boards, etc. And gave us a phone number to call upon landing. While I was descending for the chosen landing spot, my privacy data omitted prayed and asked god to keep us safe. As we got closer to the dirt road, I saw that a small fence adjoined it and elected to adjust my landing 30’ to the right to avoid the fence and subsequently landed in the field between the fence/dirt road and NV state route 305, approximately 45 mi south of Battle Mountain, likely about 5000’ MSL +/-. Incredibly, the car we saw driving on the paved road below us as we were landing happened to be a NV state deputy sheriff. privacy data omitted Immediately pulled over and offered assistance. We called back the number given to us by salt lake center to let them know we landed safely. Upon inspection of the aircraft, it was immediately evident that an approx. 12” +/- piece of the nickel leading edge of the catto ground adjustable propeller had departed the blade and was the imbalance source of all the vibration/loss of thrust. We tied down the aircraft and the sheriff took us to Battle Mountain. While in Battle Mountain I spoke with FAA personnel privacy data omitted, NTSB personal privacy data omitted, and FAA personnel privacy data omitted we discussed the cause of the incident and the plan to get the airplane back home.
Pilot had spare propeller flown to location where the pilot (also amp) remounted and inspected the spare propeller. The pilot was comfortable with aircraft and elected to takeoff from closed highway and return to kern valley airport (L05). Pilot was instructed to keep reno FSDO informed of status. Pilot landed safely back at L05 on Saturday, June 14.
As the FAA filed it
ON OUR RETURN HOME FROM FLYING/CAMPING FOR THE WEEK IN THE IDAHO BACKCOUNTRY, MY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I DEPARTED BATTLE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT, NV EARLY ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY, JUNE 13TH, 2025, HEADED TOWARDS LONE PINE AIRPORT, CA (AND THEN FROM THERE HOME TO KERNVILLE, CA) IN MY EXPERIMENTAL ‘BUSHWAGON’ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (MODIFIED PIPER PACER). WE CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 9500’+/- AND CALLED SALT LAKE CENTER FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. AT APPROXIMATELY 7:10AM+/-, OUR ENGINE SUDDENLY WENT FROM SMOOTH TO INTENSE VIBRATION WITH WHAT FELT/SOUNDED LIKE A LARGE ‘POP’ AT THE SAME TIME AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF THRUST. THINKING WE HAD LOST EITHER A CYLINDER OR PROPELLER AND EXPECTING A POSSIBLE TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE AT ANY MOMENT, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE AND PITCHED THE AIRPLANE FOR GLIDE TOWARDS AN EMERGENCY LANDING SPOT TO A DIRT ROAD NEAR A FARM AND PAVED HIGHWAY BELOW US. COMPARED TO CRUISE RPM, THE VIBRATION REDUCED CONSIDERABLY WITH THROTTLE AT IDLE. THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE USUAL QUESTIONS ABOUT SOULS ON BOARDS, ETC. AND GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LANDING. WHILE I WAS DESCENDING FOR THE CHOSEN LANDING SPOT, MY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PRAYED AND ASKED GOD TO KEEP US SAFE. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE DIRT ROAD, I SAW THAT A SMALL FENCE ADJOINED IT AND ELECTED TO ADJUST MY LANDING 30’ TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID THE FENCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED IN THE FIELD BETWEEN THE FENCE/DIRT ROAD AND NV STATE ROUTE 305, APPROXIMATELY 45 MI SOUTH OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN, LIKELY ABOUT 5000’ MSL +/-. INCREDIBLY, THE CAR WE SAW DRIVING ON THE PAVED ROAD BELOW US AS WE WERE LANDING HAPPENED TO BE A NV STATE DEPUTY SHERIFF. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE. WE CALLED BACK THE NUMBER GIVEN TO US BY SALT LAKE CENTER TO LET THEM KNOW WE LANDED SAFELY. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT THAT AN APPROX. 12” +/- PIECE OF THE NICKEL LEADING EDGE OF THE CATTO GROUND ADJUSTABLE PROPELLER HAD DEPARTED THE BLADE AND WAS THE IMBALANCE SOURCE OF ALL THE VIBRATION/LOSS OF THRUST. WE TIED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE SHERIFF TOOK US TO BATTLE MOUNTAIN. WHILE IN BATTLE MOUNTAIN I SPOKE WITH FAA PERSONNEL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, NTSB PERSONAL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND FAA PERSONNEL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WE DISCUSSED THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT AND THE PLAN TO GET THE AIRPLANE BACK HOME.
PILOT HAD SPARE PROPELLER FLOWN TO LOCATION WHERE THE PILOT (ALSO AMP) REMOUNTED AND INSPECTED THE SPARE PROPELLER. THE PILOT WAS COMFORTABLE WITH AIRCRAFT AND ELECTED TO TAKEOFF FROM CLOSED HIGHWAY AND RETURN TO KERN VALLEY AIRPORT (L05). PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO KEEP RENO FSDO INFORMED OF STATUS. PILOT LANDED SAFELY BACK AT L05 ON SATURDAY, JUNE 14.
Other reports on N2988B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.