Pietenpol BIG PIET accident near Gainesboro, Tennessee, July 16, 2019
On July 16, 2019 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2009 Pietenpol BIG PIET, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N973BP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Gainesboro, Tennessee (Jackson County airport). 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
Separation of the spinner cap for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence, which resulted in contact and subsequent separation of the wooden propeller blade tip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2019 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesboro, Tennessee · Jackson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pietenpol BIG PIET, built 2009, amateur-built
- Registration
- N973BP · registry record · serial BP003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that about 2 hours into a cross-country flight, he experienced an airplane vibration and determined a section of the propeller departed the airplane. He shut the engine down due to severe vibration. He intended to land at the nearest airport but realized the airplane would not reach the runway and set up for a landing on a grass field. The airplane landed hard and the landing gear split, buckling the lower longerons. The airplane then slid into the airport perimeter fence. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing was damaged, and the fuselage frame was bent. The propeller spinner was not located at the accident site and one propeller blade was missing the blade tip. The wood propeller was sent to the propeller manufacturer for further investigation. Examination determined the portion of the missing blade separated as a result of a strike to the propeller by an object. The examination could not definitively identify the spinner as the object that struck the blade; however , it is likely the missing spinner departed the airplane inflight and impacted the propeller blade. The reason the spinner departed the airplane could not be determined based on available evidence.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Hard landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Prop/spinner section › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 227 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 146 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 28, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 93 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 8, 2019; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,319 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Davis, Barry AMA/EXP (piston); 93 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMI Athens TN at 3:45 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KSRB, 21 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.