- Date
- May 14, 2006, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Miles City, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N157VMHarold Vander Avid Flyer
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060514007029A
- Case key
- 63680
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
Failure of the engine to propeller reduction gearbox for undetermined reasons. High vegetation was a factor.
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 experimental amateur built airplane sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing. The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, approximately 250 feet above ground level (agl), the "reduction gear failed" and he was forced to land on a dirt road near the departure airstrip. During the landing, the airplane encountered tall vegetation and ground-looped resulting in substantial damage. Post accident inspection showed that the engine-to-propeller planetary style reduction gear housing was fractured. Further examination revealed that the center drive gear was damaged and heavy smearing was observed to the drive teeth. The reduction gear assembly was identified as a GRD 2000, manufactured by D&D Manufacturing. According to the pilot, D&D manufacturing is no longer in business. The pilot reported that he was not the aircraft's original owner/builder. The aircraft was powered by a 45-horsepower Cuyuna reciprocating gas engine.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 2006, at about 1130 mountain daylight time, an Experimental Amateur Built Avid Flyer Bandit, N157VM, sustained substantial damage during an off airport forced landing near the Sunday Creek Airpark, Miles City, Montana. The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, approximately 250-feet above ground level (agl), the "reduction gear failed" and he was forced to land on a dirt road near the departure airstrip. During the landing, the airplane encountered tall vegetation and ground-looped resulting in substantial damage.
Post accident inspection of the airplane by a representative from the Federal Aviation Administration and the owner of the aircraft showed that the engine-to-propeller planetary style reduction gear housing was fractured. Further examination revealed that the center drive gear was damaged and heavy smearing was observed to the drive teeth. The reduction gear assembly was identified as a GRD 2000, manufactured by D&D Manufacturing. According to the pilot, D&D manufacturing is no longer in business.
The pilot reported that he was not the aircraft's original owner/builder. He purchased the aircraft in 2001.
The aircraft was powered by a 45-horsepower Cuyuna reciprocating gas engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N157VM
- Reported as
- Harold Vander Avid Flyer
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0157
- Engine
- Cuyuna 430RR/RF, 45 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dale L. Benti
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- MT29 · Miles City, MT
- Destination
- MT29 · Miles City, MT
- Airport
- MT29 · Sunday Creek Airpark
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
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 2,617 total · 47 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.