Amateur-built W-8 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 27, 2002
On August 27, 2002 at about 3:40 pm local time, a amateur-built W-8, registered N3992A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The structural failure and separation of a propeller blade for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain available to the pilot to execute a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2002 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built W-8 · all W-8s on the register
- Registration
- N3992A · no longer on the register · serial 37
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the flight was being conducted to evaluate a recently installed ground adjustable propeller. After maneuvering for a short time, the pilot and his passenger decided to return to the airport to readjust the propeller pitch in order to improve the climb capabilities of the aircraft. While returning to the airport, the engine developed "a sudden and violent vibration," and the pilot immediately decided to shut down the engine. After the propeller stopped rotating, the pilot observed that one of the three propeller blades had separated from the hub. A forced landing was initiated into an open field located about 5.5 nautical miles west of the airport of departure. The pilot added that during the landing on a rough and uneven terrain, the airplane touched down hard at about a 1,200 feet per minute rate of descent. The main landing gears sunk into the soft sandy soil, and the tailwheel-equipped airplane nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. The airplane was reported to be powered by a 115 horsepower Lycoming O-235-C1A engine. The engine was driving a 3-bladed Precision propeller, which according to the pilot had accumulated less than 3 hours since installed new on the engine. The propeller model and serial number were not provided by the pilot. The mode of failure of the propeller blade could not be determined. The 331-hour instrument rated private pilot reported having accumulated a total of 38 hours in the accident make and model aircraft.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 331 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 244 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 1,395 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N3992A 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 FTW02LA242.