Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Elko, Nevada 89801
Sunday, July 3, 1994 12:16 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

IN CRUISE, THE PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH HIGH VEGETATION AND ROUGH TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER EXTENSION ASSEMBLY AT THE PROPELLER FLANGE. THE PROPELLER AND THE ATTACHED FLANGE WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE PROPELLER EXTENSION ASSEMBLY IS A BARREL-SHAPED MACHINED ALUMINUM PART WITH FLANGES ON EACH END OF THE BARREL, ONE FOR CONNECTION TO THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT AND ONE FOR CONNECTION TO THE PROPELLER. THE PROPELLER FLANGE FRACTURED AWAY FROM THE BARREL AT A RADIUS FORMED BETWEEN THE BARREL AND THE FLANGE. BEACH MARKINGS WERE OBSERVED EMANATING FROM A POINT ON THE SURFACE AT THE RADIUS WITH BEACH MARKS ABOUT 1/2 ACROSS THE BARREL WALL. A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE AIRCRAFT OWNER NOTED THAT THE RADIUS BETWEEN THE BARREL AND THE FLANGE WAS MEASURED AT BETWEEN 1/8 AND 3/32 OF AN INCH, WITH FLAT SPOTS AND SCORING NOTED. THE PROPELLER EXTENSION ASSEMBLY WAS NOT MANUFACTURED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PARTS MANUFACTURING OR TYPE CERTIFICATE APPROVAL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

a fatigue fracture and separation of the propeller flange from an improperly machined propeller extension assembly. Inadequate design, substantiation, and approval of the part design was a factor in the accident.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/3/1994
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1216
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City ELKO
Event State NEVADA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 89801
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1343
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 3 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1410
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:43AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N99G
NTSB Number LAX94LA274
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HAYES
Aircraft Model DICKEY E-RACER
Aircraft Series Identifier DICKEY E-R
Aircraft Serial Number 5
Certified Max Gross Weight 2000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 14 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 73
Airframe Hours 73
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JIMMIE D. HAYS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 14620 SENTINEL DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City SUN CITY WEST
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85375
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JIMMIE D. HAYS
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 14620 SENTINEL DRIVE
Operator City SUN CITY WEST
Operator State AZ
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 85375
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 06U
Departure City JACKPOT
Departure State NV
Departure Country
Departure Time 1145
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 9 2002 11:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --