Amateur-built One Design accident near Bend, Oregon, October 6, 2001
On October 6, 2001, a amateur-built One Design, registered N55TE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bend, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the separation of a propeller counterweight mounting bracket due to incorrect mounting bolt torque. Factors include significant powerplant vibration during the forced landing, no suitable landing area, and soft terrain next to the narrow road on which the pilot attempted his emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2001
- Place
- Bend, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built One Design
- Registration
- N55TE · registry record · serial 94-0239
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after the pilot entered the aerobatic box in his experimental One Design aircraft, the airplane developed an "extreme vibration." The pilot therefore shut the engine off and began a glide toward a nearby road. During the descent, with the propeller windmilling, the aircraft shook so violently that it was very difficult for the pilot to see, and he became concerned that the engine might separate from the airframe. When the aircraft reached the ground, the pilot tried to land on a narrow road, but with his visibility still significantly effected by the vibration of the airframe, he was unable to keep the One Design within the lateral confines of the road. During the landing roll, one of the main wheels departed the side of the road and encountered soft terrain. The main gear wheel then began to sink into the soft terrain, and the aircraft nosed over onto its back. It was later determined that one of the propeller counterweight mounting brackets (along with the counterweight itself) had separated from the propeller. A post-accident inspection of the counterweight on the apposing blade revealed that one of its mounting bolts was under-torqued approximately 115 inch-pounds below the value listed in the associated assembly torque table. The propeller, which was a non-certified model with composite blades, had been loaned to the pilot by the manufacturer, while his propeller was undergoing a periodic inspection.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S07 Bend Municipal OR at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.