Wright B Flyer INC WRIGHT B FLYER accident near Springfield, Ohio, July 30, 2011
On July 30, 2011 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Wright B Flyer INC WRIGHT B FLYER, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N453WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Springfield, Ohio (Springfield-Beckley Municipal). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s failure to maintain airplane control following a partial loss of engine thrust during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the failed weld as a result of incomplete welding on the left propeller shaft, which led to the partial loss of engine thrust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2011 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Springfield, Ohio · Springfield-Beckley Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wright B Flyer INC WRIGHT B FLYER, amateur-built
- Registration
- N453WB · no longer on the register · serial 002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built replica airplane was on a test flight with two pilot-rated occupants. Another pilot heard a radio transmission from the accident airplane indicating that they were going to land in a field about 5 miles north of the departure airport. Witnesses reported that the airplane’s engine rpm varied while it was flying at a low altitude. The airplane was then observed in a spiraling descent to the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s left propeller shaft revealed a broken weld, which would have prevented the left propeller from being driven by the engine. Further examination of the joint identified incomplete weld penetration during welding, thus about 25 to 35 percent of the through thickness of the propeller shaft tube was not welded to the propeller shaft end. This incomplete weld penetration occurred in the inner areas of the joint. Visible defects, such as pores and voids, were observed in the welded areas. The part’s engineering drawing specifies complete weld penetration. The on-scene accident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any other preimpact anomalies. Despite the resultant partial loss of thrust, the flight crew should have been able to maintain control of the airplane during the forced landing attempt.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Flight crew
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Fabrication › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,078 hours in all; 235 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 13, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 955 hours in all; 68 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 58 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright B Flyer INC
The flight
- Departed from: SGH Springfield OH at 2:08 pm
- Destination: SGH Springfield OH
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from SGH, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.