Amateur-built Hiperbipe accident near Marion, Ohio, August 23, 2003
On August 23, 2003 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Hiperbipe, registered N258HB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marion, Ohio (Marion Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to install an inadequate air filter, which subsequently failed and resulted in a power loss.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2003 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Ohio · Marion Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Hiperbipe
- Registration
- N258HB · no longer on the register · serial 258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff, the experimental airplane lost engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field he thought contained vegetation that was about 6 inches high; however, the vegetation was about 40 inches high. During landing, the airplane sustained damage to the lower landing gear structure and lower wings. Examination of the airplane revealed that the air filter screen had separated from the support bracket. The filter element was found in the intake to the fuel injection servo and obstructed the air flow to the engine. The air filter was home-made and installed by the pilot.
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: 1,096 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,911 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MNN Marion OH
- Destination: BVI Beaver Falls PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N258HB 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.