Amateur-built VELOCITY STANDARD RG accident near Florence, South Carolina, November 26, 1997
On November 26, 1997 at about 8:44 pm local time, a amateur-built VELOCITY STANDARD RG, registered N907ME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Florence, South Carolina (Florence Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper maintenance procedures used by the pilot/repairman, which resulted in the loosening and eventual failure of the propeller. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's self-imposed pressure to hurry to the destination, and trees in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1997 · about 8:44 pm local time
- Place
- Florence, South Carolina · Florence Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VELOCITY STANDARD RG VELOCITY S
- Registration
- N907ME · no longer on the register · serial DMO-266
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following departure from an en route fuel and rest stop, the pilot reported a propeller problem and returned to the departure airport. The propeller was disassembled to repair what the pilot reported was a failure of the electrical pitch change for the propeller blades. According to witnesses, who saw and talked with the pilot as he worked on the airplane, he (the pilot) was upset over the failure, and he was anxious about hurrying to reach his destination. The pilot, who also held a homebuilt repairman certificate, did not follow the manufacturer's torquing procedures, which were to be followed after replacement of the propeller. After about an hour of flight, following the repairs, one propeller blade separated from the airplane, and a forced landing ensued. The airplane subsequently hit trees, then collided with the ground, inverted. Postcrash examination of the propeller indicated that a propeller blade had loosened during the flight, and subsequently it failed due to overload forces.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 381 hours in all; 330 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 378 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 26, 1996; 330 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNA Lantana FL at 1:50 pm
- Destination: HXB Wilmington
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 6,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from FLO, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.