Amateur-built LONG EZ accident near Eufaula, Alabama, November 11, 2017
On November 11, 2017 at about 3:35 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built LONG EZ, registered N754T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Eufaula, Alabama (Weedon Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight separation of a portion of the propeller, which subsequently penetrated the right rudder, as a result of the failure of the bond line between two of the propeller’s wood layers. Contributing to the failure of the propeller was the manufacturer’s use of an inappropriate bonding agent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2017 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Eufaula, Alabama · Weedon Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG EZ, built 2015
- Registration
- N754T · registry record · serial 1763-L
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in an experimental airplane. While in cruise flight, the airplane "violently began shuddering," and the pilot immediately shut down the engine and attempted an emergency landing. The airplane was unable to reach the selected runway and landed about 200 ft short of the runway threshold in a rough, grassy area. After exiting the airplane, the pilot discovered that a portion of the trailing edge of the wood propeller had separated and penetrated the lower half of the right rudder control surface. A postaccident examination of the remaining portion of the wood propeller determined that the propeller was manufactured from laminations of defect-free hard maple lumber that showed no signs of decay. An inspection of the separation surface indicated that the individual layers of the propeller were laminated together using an adhesive that resulted in a light-colored bond line. The failure surface included an exposed portion of the bond line between two wood layers that had failed. Examination of this bond line showed minimal wood failure that was about 8 inches long and between 1/8 and 1/4 inch wide. The amount of cured adhesive observed varied considerably along the length of the failure surface's bond line, with an area of the bond line having minimal adhesive coverage. According to the propeller manufacturer, the propeller was carved by hand and assembled using an adhesive that is advertised as "ideal for interior wood application." However, the adhesive had not been tested for applications in which extreme temperature fluctuations, pressure, and vibrations would be expected, such as those experienced during airplane operations.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Design
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 248 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 6, 2016
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 177.4 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 177 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAI Marianna FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: FFC Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KCSG, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 3, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Sterba) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Letter from Resin Manufacturer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.