- Date
- June 10, 1990, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mineral Wells, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3412LGyroflug SC01B160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900610019339A
- Case key
- 22931
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
Total propeller blade retention failure, the resultant separation of one propeller blade, and the improper installation of the propeller by unknown maintenance personnel.
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
The airplane had been modified to be flown either remotely or by the pilot. Takeoff and initial climb were performed by remote control and control was transferred to the pilot to position for a remote control landing. Angle of bank increased past 90 degrees in a nose high attitude at about 425 feet AGL; the pilot transmitted that he was 'going down' shortly before impact. One of the three wooden propeller blades separated from the hub and was found 1/4 mile from the main wreckage. The blade was attached to the hub primarily by 5 lag screws. Threads in the wood butt of the separated blade were stripped. The 5 screws remained in place. Lag screws in the remaining 2 blades were found undertorqued. Several discrepancies were noted regarding specifications for propeller blade root and size, tolerances, and lag screws.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3412L
- Reported as
- Gyroflug SC01B160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- S-46
- Airframe hours
- 139
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Litton Applied Technology
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 30, 1990 · 90 hours before
- Airport
- MWL · Municipal
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,354 total · 20 in this make and model · 4,699 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Observed at
- MWL, 4 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.