- Date
- October 7, 2006, 16:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Perkasie, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N46RCCutler VariEze
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Allentown FSDO
- FAA report
- 20061007020069A
- Case key
- 64655
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
The pilot's excessive rotation on takeoff, which resulted in a propeller blade strike, and subsequent forced landing to a field.
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 pilot of an amateur-built VariEze airplane performed an emergency landing to a field, after the propeller blades disintegrated during the initial climb. According to the pilot, the airplane accelerated normally during the takeoff roll, and after rotation, its rate-of-climb decreased significantly. He decided to land in a field off the end of the runway. The airplane landed, rolled about 50 feet, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed propeller strike marks on the runway, about the pilot's stated point-of-rotation, as well as propeller fragments near the strike marks.
Factual narrative
The pilot of an amateur-built VariEze airplane performed an emergency landing to a field, after the propeller blades disintegrated during the initial climb. According to the pilot, the airplane accelerated normally during the takeoff roll, and after rotation, it's rate-of-climb decreased significantly. He decided to land in a field off the end of the runway. The airplane landed, rolled about 50 feet, and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage. A post-accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed propeller strike marks on the runway, about the pilot's stated point-of-rotation, as well as propeller fragments near the strike marks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46RC
- Reported as
- Cutler VariEze
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 108
- Airframe hours
- 1,146.2
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 1, 2006
- Departed
- PS03 · Perkasie, PA
- Destination
- PS03 · Perkasie, PA
- Airport
- PS03 · Elephant Path Airport, runway 05, 2,750 × 35 ft, asphalt
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 278 total · 131 in this make and model · 227 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KDYL, 7 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.