Conn VANS RV-4 N78DR

Summary

On 5 July 2003 at about 20:00 local time, a Conn VANS RV-4 registered N78DR was involved in an accident near Durango, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2003 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Durango, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.2033, -107.8672

Aircraft

Conn VANS RV-4

Registration

N78DR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durango → Los Lunas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN03LA120

1 person was seriously injured.

partial propeller blade separation for reasons undetermined, and the pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude during the forced landing approach that resulted in his overshooting the road on intended landing and colliding with trees. A contributing factor was the trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said he was climbing through 8,500 feet when the engine began to shake violently. He reduced power to idle and eventually shut the engine down. When the propeller stopped, he noticed one-half inch of one blade's trailing edge had separated. After dropping full flaps, the pilot attempted to make a forced landing on a dirt road but overshot. The airplane collided with two trees next to the road. A wood propeller manufacturer examined the propeller and found no defects or other damage to the propeller.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.