Wohnoutka Steven M TEAM Z MAX N301SS

Summary

On 4 July 2009 at about 15:30 local time, a Wohnoutka Steven M TEAM Z MAX registered N301SS, operated by Sale Reported, was involved in an accident near Iowa, Louisiana, 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

4 July 2009 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Iowa, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Light Plane Flyers Airfield (LS36)

Coordinates

30.2503, -92.9719

Aircraft

Wohnoutka Steven M TEAM Z MAX

Registration

N301SS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sale Reported

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Iowa → Iowa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09CA510

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine thrust during initial climb due to the failure of the airplane's propeller as a result of preexisting damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During initial climb from the airfield, the airplane began to shake violently and the propeller broke apart. The non-certified pilot turned the airplane in an attempt to return to the airfield. The pilot was unable to land at the airfield and elected to perform a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the landing roll the airplane contacted a levee and nosed over, coming to rest in an inverted position. In an interview with Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the pilot stated that he had recently installed an experimental propeller on the airplane and during a ground test run the propeller made an unusual sound and the pilot discovered a "nick" on the leading edge of one of the propeller blades. The pilot notified the manufacturer, who recommended that the pilot trim the propeller portions down. The pilot, who was neither a certified repairman nor the airplane's builder, performed maintenance on the airplane and propeller prior to flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.