Malechek Q-200 accident near Delano, California, August 2, 2005
On August 2, 2005, a Malechek Q-200, registered N870BM, was destroyed in an accident near Delano, California (Delano Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the in-flight delamination and separation of a propeller blade for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2005
- Place
- Delano, California · Delano Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Malechek Q-200
- Registration
- N870BM · no longer on the register · serial 2572
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A propeller blade separated while the airplane was cruising at 9,500 feet mean sea level. The pilot then experienced a severe vibration and he shutoff the engine. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane impacted objects short of the runway and came to rest inverted. A subsequent examination of the wood propeller revealed that it had separated at glue joints and delaminated. The pilot had torqued the propeller's attachment bolts to the 18-foot-pound value placarded on the propeller. The previous owner of the airplane had recommended torquing the bolts to 15-foot-pounds. A hair-line crack was found emanating from one of the propeller's attachment bolt holes. The FAA coordinator reported that the attachment bolt torquing sequence for the experimental airplane's propeller was not specified by the manufacturer.
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: 325 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 285 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,201 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2004; 117.5 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOD Modesto CA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: RNM Ramona CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,650 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
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.
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.