Probable cause
The failure of the wooden propeller.
NTSB analysis
During takeoff, at about 100 feet in the air, near the end of the runway, the pilot heard a loud bang and immediately felt an increasing vibration. He reduced engine power and maneuvered to return to the runway. As he lined up for the runway, the engine was producing power but he felt no thrust. The airplane lost altitude and the pilot landed in a rough pasture short of the runway. The landing gear separated and the left wing buckled before coming to a stop. Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the brass tip separated from the wooden propeller and the blades separated to the hub section. The missing pieces of propeller were not located.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for MIA08CA178 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 30, 2008
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Sevierville, Tennessee
- Nearest airport
- Seymour Air Park (TN20)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Dehavilland DH82A
- N-number
- N80660
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.