Amateur-built AVID FLYER accident near Goshen, Indiana, June 14, 1987
On June 14, 1987 at about 11:00 am local time, a amateur-built AVID FLYER, registered N138RK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goshen, Indiana. 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1987 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Goshen, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID FLYER
- Registration
- N138RK · registry record · serial 138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT 1600 FEET MSL, ONE PROPELLER BLADE FAILED IN THE ROOT AREA AND DEPARTED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FARMER'S FIELD. VIBRATIONS, RESULTING FROM THE UNBALANCED PROPELLER CONDITION, WERE OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO CAUSE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS. THE ENGINE FELL OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT UPON LANDING.
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: 337 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 265 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1987
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 06 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2C9 Elkhart IN at 10:50 am
- Destination: HAI Three Rivers MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 am from SBN, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N138RK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI87DET06.