Amateur-built TEAM Z MAX accident near Iowa, Louisiana, July 4, 2009
On July 4, 2009 at about 3:30 pm local time, a amateur-built TEAM Z MAX, registered N301SS, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Iowa, Louisiana (Light Plane Flyers Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine thrust during initial climb due to the failure of the airplane's propeller as a result of preexisting damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2009 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Iowa, Louisiana · Light Plane Flyers Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TEAM Z MAX
- Registration
- N301SS · no longer on the register · serial 001SMW
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller blade section › Failure
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: sngl
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Zenoah ALL MDLS A/B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LS36 Iowa LA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: LS36 Iowa LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KLCH, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.