- Date
- April 8, 2000, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Libby, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N54ASPZL-Bielsko SZD-45A Ogar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000408013389A
- Case key
- 48938
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 crack in the propeller blade that developed into a complete separation of the blade.
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 aircraft was in a powered cruise configuration at 7,500 feet mean sea level when one of the propeller blades separated from the propeller hub. The pilot initiated a descent and subsequent forced landing without further incident or damage to the aircraft. An FAA Inspector examined the aircraft after the accident and reported that the propeller blade separated near the propeller hub. The inspector also stated that there appeared to be a preexisting crack in the area of the separation.
Factual narrative
On April 8, 2000, about 1600 mountain daylight time, a PDPS PZL-Bielsko, SZD-45A Ogar, N54AS, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14CFR91 personal pleasure flight, was substantially damaged when a portion of the propeller blade separated while in a cruise flight configuration. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (COE), approximately four hours prior to the accident.
The pilot stated that the aircraft was in a powered cruise configuration at 7,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when one blade of the Maloof (C4.5X58) propeller separated from the propeller hub. The pilot initiated a descent and subsequent forced landing at Libby Municipal Airport (S59), Libby, Montana, without further incident.
An FAA Inspector from the Spokane, Washington, Flight Standard District Office inspected the aircraft after the accident and reported that the propeller blade separated near the propeller blade root. The inspector also stated that there appeared to be a preexisting crack in the area of the separation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54AS
- Reported as
- PZL-Bielsko SZD-45A Ogar (SZD-45A OG)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- B-769
- Airframe hours
- 200
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100-D, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John J. Neils
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 2000 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- COE · Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Airport
- S59 · Libby, runway 33, 5,000 × 75 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 80 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.