Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Houston Executive Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Katy, Texas 77493
Saturday, May 9, 2009 13:17 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane's experimental two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller had recently been replaced with an experimental three-bladed constant-speed propeller. The pilot was flight testing the new propeller at the time of the accident. During the third flight of the day, one of the propeller's blades separated from the propeller hub during flight. The pilot lost control of the airplane and entered an uncontrolled descent. The airplane impacted in a flat, lightly wooded area. Flight control continuity was confirmed and no preimpact anomalies were discovered with the airplane's engine or other airplane systems. An examination of the propeller conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory discovered several areas of disbonding with signatures of low adhesion between the propeller shank, adhesive, and propeller ferrule.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control following an in-flight failure of the propeller.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/9/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1317 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Katy |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77493 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 294708N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0955130W |
| Event Location Airport | Houston Executive Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TME |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 166 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 82 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSGR 091753Z 16008G16KT 10SM SCT038 31/21 A2 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27592 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 6 2011 12:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N45YV |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA288 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SMYSOR KEVIN |
| Aircraft Model | VELOCITY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | SV4101 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 15 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 738 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SIMONSEN OLEF L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7819 BULRUSH CANYON TRL |
| Aircraft Owner City | KATY |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77494-2059 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SIMONSEN OLEF L |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 7819 BULRUSH CANYON TRL |
| Operator City | KATY |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77494-2059 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TME |
| Departure City | Katy |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TME |
| Destination City | Katy |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 19 2010 4:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |