- Date
- July 4, 2009, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Iowa, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N301SSWohnoutka Steven M Team Z MAX
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090704017689A
- Case key
- 74487
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A total loss of engine thrust during initial climb due to the failure of the airplane's propeller as a result of preexisting damage.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During initial climb from the airfield, the airplane began to shake violently and the propeller broke apart. The non-certified pilot turned the airplane in an attempt to return to the airfield. The pilot was unable to land at the airfield and elected to perform a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the landing roll the airplane contacted a levee and nosed over, coming to rest in an inverted position. In an interview with Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the pilot stated that he had recently installed an experimental propeller on the airplane and during a ground test run the propeller made an unusual sound and the pilot discovered a "nick" on the leading edge of one of the propeller blades. The pilot notified the manufacturer, who recommended that the pilot trim the propeller portions down. The pilot, who was neither a certified repairman nor the airplane's builder, performed maintenance on the airplane and propeller prior to flight.
Factual narrative
During initial climb from the airfield, the airplane began to shake violently and the propeller broke apart. The non-certified pilot turned the airplane in an attempt to return to the airfield. The pilot was unable to land at the airfield and elected to perform a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the landing roll the airplane contacted a levee and nosed over, coming to rest in an inverted position. In an interview with Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the pilot stated that he had recently installed an experimental propeller on the airplane and during a ground test run the propeller made an unusual sound and the pilot discovered a "nick" on the leading edge of one of the propeller blades. The pilot notified the manufacturer, who recommended that the pilot trim the propeller portions down. The pilot, who was neither a certified repairman nor the airplane's builder, performed maintenance on the airplane and propeller prior to flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N301SS
- Reported as
- Wohnoutka Steven M Team Z MAX
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001SMW
- Engine
- Zenoah ALL MDLS A/B, 25 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sale Reported
- Registered owner
- Sale Reported
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LS36 · Iowa, LA
- Destination
- LS36 · Iowa, LA
- Airport
- LS36 · Light Plane Flyers Airfield
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KLCH, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 29, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 35 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.