Bollinger Robert L BD 4 accident near Fairfield, IA

On June 22, 2014, a Bollinger Robert L BD 4 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fairfield, IA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

June 22, 2014

Place

Fairfield, IA

Aircraft

Bollinger Robert L BD 4 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

41.056°N, 91.981°W

NTSB ID

20140622X94018

Official records · CEN14LA305

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

On June 22, 2014, about 1117 central daylight time, a Bollinger BD-4 experimental amateur-built airplane, N108BC, impacted terrain next to at the Fairfield Municipal Airport (KFFL), Fairfield, Iowa. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.The airplane was seen to take off on runway 18, make a 90-degree left turn, descend and collide with terrain about 600 feet east of the runway. There was a post-impact fire. Four Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors went to the scene. According to the lead inspector, all of the airplane structure was accounted for with the exception of the propeller blades. Several days after the accident, the airport manager notified FAA that while mowing the grass, he had found two of the three propeller blades. Examination of the photographs taken of the propeller blades revealed damage consistent with the blades having separated in flight. Neither blade bore impact or thermal damage signatures. The breaks at the hub were not bent but pulled straight out. The third blade was never found.

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to the in-flight separation of the propeller blades for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.