Thomas ZENITH CH701 N613DT

Summary

On 15 June 2005 at about 13:00 local time, a Thomas ZENITH CH701 registered N613DT was involved in an accident near Redford, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2005 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Redford, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.3897, -83.2908

Aircraft

Thomas ZENITH CH701

Registration

N613DT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Harsens Island → Defiance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05LA143

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine thrust was the result of the propeller blades overstress separation from the propeller hub for an undetermined reason. An additional cause was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a golf course after a loss of engine thrust. The pilot reported that he had flown for about one hour when he heard and felt a loud "bang" from the front of the engine. The engine lost power. He reported that he immediately declared a "MAYDAY" and executed a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing rollout he encountered rough terrain, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported that all three wooden propeller blades had separated from the propeller hub. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the engine exhibited continuity and thumb compression. The two carburetors were found separated from their respective rubber couplers. Two of three propeller blades were recovered. The propeller hub and the two propeller blades were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory for inspection. The inspection revealed that both blades appeared to be in good condition, with only a few small, shallow dents on the surface and no splintering or other damage to the blade tip or leading edge. The fracture of the wood of the three propeller blade root ends appeared to have fractured in shear stress. Calculations indicated that normal operation of the engine would produce a shear stress of 741 psi on the propeller blades. In the manufacturer's product testing, the blade retention had not failed until the application of about 2,200 psi. The number 1 propeller blade was not recovered which precluded its inspection for failure or defects.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.