Amateur-built CH 701 N3784A accident near Safford, Arizona

Probable cause

The in-flight separation of a propeller blade for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in an off-airport landing on soft sand and the separation of main landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, while returning to the departure airport about 1,200 ft above the ground, the engine developed a severe and instantaneous vibration. He reduced power and searched for an emergency landing spot. The pilot chose a road as the landing spot, but the airplane landed about 40 ft short of the road in soft, rough sand, and the main landing gear separated from the airplane. The pilot reported that his pilot-rated passenger saw "something black streaking from the right, into the prop" before the vibration started. He suspected it was a drone but was not sure. The pilot added that there was no blood or feathers on the airplane or propeller. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A portion of one propeller blade was not found at the accident site. The pilot further reported that, using a handheld GPS, he returned to the area of the presumed in-flight propeller strike and found pieces of the propeller but no drone fragments. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that he suspected the airplane would have not sustained as much damage if he had landed in "one of the clear areas in the desert." He added that he "overestimated glide performance."

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA20CA039 for the full record.