- Date
- September 1, 1984, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Martindale, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N177MMiller Air Sports GEM 260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840901045059A
- Case key
- 21147
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Notes left by plt indicate he had been testing the flight envelope of this experimental racing acft, including operation of the engine beyond prop limit of 4000 RPM. Witnesses heard engine sound suddenly speed up to high RPM then cease altogether. Some witnesses reported hearing an explosive sound. Acft wreckage was scattered over 1-1/2 miles. Horizontal airframe surfaces were disintegrated; largest piece weighed less than 10 lbs. 3 prop blades (wood core) had separated 8' outboard of hub; fourth blade separated inside spinner. Only one blade was recovered. Examination of airframe fractures revealed separations occurred along multiple axes; signatures in conventional materials showed characteristics of gross overload. Composite material separations paralleled warp of 'cloth' except in areas of high peel stress. All composite structures exhibited uniform saturation of resin; no air bubbles found in layup.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N177M
- Reported as
- Miller Air Sports GEM 260
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- M-103
- Airframe hours
- 51
- Engine
- Continental O-200-B, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 9, 1984 · 19 hours before
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 27,487 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.