Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sedona, Arizona 86336
Saturday, November 8, 1997 12:12 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection, he examined the propeller while pulling the engine through each cylinder and found no discrepancies. The aircraft was about 7 minutes into a 15-minute flight when he saw a 'spark or flash' at the 11 o'clock position on the nose, followed quickly by the complete separation of the propeller. He turned the aircraft back toward the airport but had insufficient altitude and landed in a hilly area of a canyon. A postcrash fire began and consumed the aircraft aft of the firewall. The aircraft was examined on site and following recovery of the wreckage. An unsuccessful search was made for the wooden propeller. The metal propeller hub remained attached to the engine crankshaft with fragments of the wood center section intertwined in the bolts. The wood remains were insufficient to determine either the model or serial number of the propeller, or the condition of the boltholes. Both the engine crankshaft splines and propeller hub splines were unremarkable. The remaining pieces of wood from the hub were submitted for laboratory evaluation. The examining laboratories reported that there was insufficient evidence available from the small fragments submitted to identify an initiating event in the propeller or the failure cause of the wood hub.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure and separation of the propeller for undetermined reasons.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/8/1997
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1212
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City SEDONA
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 86336
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 11
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1156 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 23
Weather Observation Facility ID FLG
Elevation of weather observation facility 7011
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 42
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 19
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1828
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 8 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1255
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:40PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N369DP
NTSB Number LAX98LA033
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Waco
Aircraft Model YMF-5
Aircraft Series Identifier YMF-5
Aircraft Serial Number 007
Certified Max Gross Weight 2650
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 31 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 18
Airframe Hours 1080
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAKOTA TERRITORY TOURS INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 770 SUNSHINE LANE
Aircraft Owner City SEDONA
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 86336
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code SEZ
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1155
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
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 Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
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 Yes
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --