20260228001079A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Van Burenburg, IL · February 28, 2026

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Date: February 28, 2026 · 09:00 local
Place: Van Burenburg, IL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

The operator of the aircraft departed for a normal flight. Roughly 15 minutes into the flight operator felt a "thud," heard a "boom," then felt "shuddering." This was when the propeller detached from the crankshaft flang and left the aircraft. The operator sucessfuly glided and landed in a tilled field. The right main gear broke off due to the rough landing surface. This resulted in a large tear in the right wing fabric covering due to the propeller seperation. The operator did not hold an FAA medical or pilot certificate. The pilot was an ultralight instructor and examiner, through a program with eaa, who had supported ultralight activities 20+ years ago. No injuries reported.

As the FAA filed it

THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FOR A NORMAL FLIGHT. ROUGHLY 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT OPERATOR FELT A "THUD," HEARD A "BOOM," THEN FELT "SHUDDERING." THIS WAS WHEN THE PROPELLER DETACHED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT FLANG AND LEFT THE AIRCRAFT. THE OPERATOR SUCESSFULY GLIDED AND LANDED IN A TILLED FIELD. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BROKE OFF DUE TO THE ROUGH LANDING SURFACE. THIS RESULTED IN A LARGE TEAR IN THE RIGHT WING FABRIC COVERING DUE TO THE PROPELLER SEPERATION. THE OPERATOR DID NOT HOLD AN FAA MEDICAL OR PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT WAS AN ULTRALIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND EXAMINER, THROUGH A PROGRAM WITH EAA, WHO HAD SUPPORTED ULTRALIGHT ACTIVITIES 20+ YEARS AGO. NO INJURIES REPORTED.