Classic Aircraft Corp. WACO YMF-5 accident near Pahoa, Hawaii, July 16, 1997
On July 16, 1997 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Classic Aircraft Corp. WACO YMF-5, registered N553T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pahoa, Hawaii (Hilo International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of the propeller retaining nut and associated hardware for undetermined reasons. A factor in the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1997 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Pahoa, Hawaii · Hilo International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Classic Aircraft Corp. WACO YMF-5
- Registration
- N553T · no longer on the register · serial 50
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In cruise during a for-hire sightseeing flight over a volcanic crater the aircraft sustained an in-flight separation of the propeller. The pilot made a forced landing in a lava field. The pilot reported that there was no unusual vibration or other warning prior to the propeller separating from the aircraft. The pilot further reported that he personally inspected the propeller, retaining nut, and clevis pin the morning of the accident. Two prior flights were successfully completed and the accident occurred on the third flight of the day. During the aircraft recovery efforts, the propeller was found over a mile from the aircraft point of rest. Propeller hub/attachment components consisting of the forward cone, a snap ring, the hub retaining nut, and the clevis pin were not located. An examination of the aircraft was conducted by FAA Airworthiness inspectors who reported that nothing unusual was noted to the crankshaft splines, threaded front end (where the retaining nut is installed), or the grooves for the clevis pin. The examining inspectors stated that, 'apart from impact damage there was no other evident damage to propeller shaft that would suggest premature failure of propeller shaft that would cause departure of propeller from 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,686 hours in all; 898 in this make and model; 99 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 7,455 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,082 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 29, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs 755-B2M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ITO Hilo HI at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 N553T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.