Plane Crash List

Beauchesne/Wells GLASAIR TD N544BM

21 June 1989 · Moriarity, New Mexico, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 21 June 1989 at about 23:00 local time, a Beauchesne/Wells GLASAIR TD registered N544BM was involved in an accident near Moriarity, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 23:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Moriarity, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates
34.9994, -106.0391
Aircraft
Beauchesne/Wells GLASAIR TD
Registration
N544BM
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Tucumcari → Albuquerque
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
DEN89LA144

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE PROPELLER WHICH RESULTED IN SEVERE VIBRATION AND FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER MOUNTING BOLTS, & THE SEPARATION OF THE PROPELLER FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ROUGH/UNEVEN DESERT TERRAIN CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG FLT, THE PROP BEGAN TO WOBBLE & SHOOK THE ACFT VIOLENTLY. HE TURNED THE ACFT AWAY FROM MTNS TO FIND A SUITABLE AREA FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HOWEVER, AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 400' AGL, THE PROP SEPD & THE PLT WAS FORCED TO LAND ON DESERT TERRAIN. DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PROP HAD BEEN MOUNTED ON THE ENG WITH AN EXTENSION, BUT THE EXTENSION DID NOT HAVE A MEANS TO PRECISELY CENTER THE PROP. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PROP BEGAN A SEVERE VIBRATION, THE PROP MOUNTING BOLTS FAILED & THE PROP SEPD FROM THE ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

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19 Feb 1989 Piper PA-46-310P
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5 Apr 1989 Cessna 182P
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