Amateur-built SEAWIND 3000 accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1993
On April 3, 1993 at about 2:55 pm local time, a amateur-built SEAWIND 3000, registered N465W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Chester County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT SETTING OF THE PROPELLER PITCH CHANGE MECHANISM AND/OR PROPELLER GOVERNOR OUTPUT PRESSURE, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POSITIVE THRUST AND A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1993 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Chester County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SEAWIND 3000 SEAWIND 30
- Registration
- N465W · registry record · serial 003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE KIT PLANE WAS ON A TEST FLIGHT WITH A HARTZELL LIMITED PRODUCTION/CONSTANT SPEED/NON-FEATHERING/FULL REVERSING PROP. THE PILOT STATED THAT IN THE 1ST POWER-OFF GLIDE, HE SET THE THROTTLE TO IDLE & THE PROP TO LOW PITCH; ABOUT 10 TO 15 SEC LATER, THE ENGINE RACED & THE PROP APPEARED TO GO TO ZERO PITCH. HE SAID MOVEMENT OF THE PROP CONTROL & THROTTLE HAD NO EFFECT; THE PASSENGER SAID THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED & RPM OVERSPED EVEN MORE. ALTITUDE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED & A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON ROUGH TERRAIN. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PROP BLADE ANGLE LIMITS WERE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED -15 TO +26.2 DEG LIMITS. THE LOW PITCH BLADE ANGLE WAS SET FOR 3.7 DEG, BUT SPECIFICATIONS FOR TYPICAL HARTZELL & LYCOMING ENGINE COMBINATIONS HAD LOW PITCH BLADE ANGLES RANGING FROM 12 TO 13.5 DEG. TESTING OF THE PROPELLER DISCLOSED THAT THE CENTRIFUGAL LOW PITCH START LOCKS WOULD NOT ENGAGE, IF THE GOVERNOR OIL PRESSURE REMAINED AT OR ABOVE 120 PSI AFTER START LOCK DISENGAGEMENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,627 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 17,627 as pilot in command; 11,228 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, March 23, 1993; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 40N at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 40N
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.