U-FITAQP: 17) FAILED FLT CONTROL SYSTEM
THE DTSB
The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be an in flight failure of the propeller, or propeller hub system. The pilot attempted to land opposite direction on a road and chose to impact trees instead of vehicle traffic on the road.
NTSB
Probable Cause issued 5/21/2026 – 22 months after the accident: A sudden propeller overspeed and subsequent separation of the propeller blades and hub, while maneuvering at high speed and at low altitude, which resulted in a collision with a tree during the subsequent forced landing attempt.
THE DTSB
The DTSB recommends that all pilot of all aircraft utilizing the Whirl Wind Standard propeller take sufficient precaution and frequent inspection to avoid similar blade failure and separation in flight.
NTSB
None issued. NTSB recommendations are rare and usually tied to high-profile accidents.
See the NTSB Recommendation Tracker →