Amateur-built VANS RV-6A accident near Albany, Oregon, August 28, 2011
On August 28, 2011 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built VANS RV-6A, registered N642DW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Albany, Oregon (Kaiser'S Strip 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 in-flight separation of a propeller blade due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2011 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Oregon · Kaiser'S Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VANS RV-6A
- Registration
- N642DW · no longer on the register · serial 22286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that a few minutes after takeoff, he heard a loud noise and felt a vibration when an aluminum propeller blade separated from the airplane. The pilot then made a forced landing on a grass field north of the departure airport. The MT-Propeller two-bladed propeller hub, separated blade, and fracture surfaces were examined. The examination revealed finely spaced striations consistent with high-cycle fatigue. The hub wall had fatigue cracks initiating from shallow oxidized pits. Evidence of rework or repair was found on the hub blade bore. The propeller logbook reported that the hub was repaired and inspected by a repair station and reinstalled by the pilot/owner 3 days before the accident flight.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller hub section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 908 hours in all; 297 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 830 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2011; 114 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S12 Albany OR at 8:41 pm
- Destination: S12 Albany OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,600 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.