Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Caldwell Industrial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Caldwell, Idaho 83606
Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On March 22, 2012, about 1045 mountain daylight time (MDT), an experimental Gordon Reich, Glastar, N617G, made a forced landing following a separation of a propeller blade during takeoff at Caldwell Industrial Airport (EUL), Caldwell, Idaho. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained minor damage. The local personal flight departed Caldwell, Idaho, about 1040. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that during a flight on March 21, 2012, he encountered a vibration, which he thought was in the engine area. After landing he attempted to locate the source of the vibration but was unsuccessful.
The next day the pilot decided to try and duplicate the vibration in flight. During takeoff, when he was about 200 feet, one blade of the composite constant speed propeller separated at the hub. After the forced landing the pilot observed that the unbalanced condition caused three of the four engine mounts to fail.
The installed propeller was a Vesta VT-2, with 125 hours total time since new. The separated propeller was recovered, and the blade shank was removed from the hub and sent to the NTSB laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/22/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Caldwell |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83606 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 433819N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163805W |
| Event Location Airport | Caldwell Industrial Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EUL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2432 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1035 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EUL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2432 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KEUL 221615Z AUTO 09005KT 10SM SCT080 12/02 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | NWM Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 2 2012 5:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N617G |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA143 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | REICH GORDON |
| Aircraft Model | GLASTAR |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5752 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | REICH GORDON E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOISE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83709-5327 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | REICH GORDON E |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | BOISE |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83709-5327 |
| 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 | EUL |
| Departure City | Caldwell |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | EUL |
| Destination City | Caldwell |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 2 2012 5:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |