Amateur-built LONG EZ accident near Chino, California, March 8, 1988
On March 8, 1988 at about 7:24 pm local time, a amateur-built LONG EZ, registered N917WP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chino, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- March 8, 1988 · about 7:24 pm local time
- Place
- Chino, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG EZ
- Registration
- N917WP · registry record · serial 792
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A FLIGHT TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROPELLER, JUST AFTER TAKEOFF, ONE PROPELLER BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY OFF FIELD LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD, WHERE DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE THREE BLADED PROP HAD NOT BEEN USED ON THIS ACFT/ENGINE BEFORE AND THE COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTED PROPELLER HAD BEEN MODIFIED BY THE PILOT BUILDER.
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: 234 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 212 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 90 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 29, 1987; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNO Chino CA at 7:20 pm
- Destination: POC La Verne CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:28 pm from CNO, 1 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.
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 LAX88DUG02.