Pzl-Bielsko SZD-45A OGAR accident near Libby, Montana, April 8, 2000
On April 8, 2000 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Pzl-Bielsko SZD-45A OGAR, registered N54AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Libby, Montana (Libby airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A crack in the propeller blade that developed into a complete separation of the blade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2000 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Libby, Montana · Libby · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pzl-Bielsko SZD-45A OGAR SZD-45A OG
- Registration
- N54AS · registry record · serial B-769
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was in a powered cruise configuration at 7,500 feet mean sea level when one of the propeller blades separated from the propeller hub. The pilot initiated a descent and subsequent forced landing without further incident or damage to the aircraft. An FAA Inspector examined the aircraft after the accident and reported that the propeller blade separated near the propeller hub. The inspector also stated that there appeared to be a preexisting crack in the area of the separation.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2000; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,540 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Revmaster 2100-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COE Coeur D'Alene ID at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.