N65MK

On March 27, 2008, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Kenney RV-6, N65MK, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Aurora, Oregon. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot departed Aurora State Airport, Aurora, Oregon, about 1220.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, a propeller had recently been installed on the airplane and the pilot was conducting a test flight. The propeller was manufactured by a local propeller company, and the pilot was a co-owner of the company. During the climb to cruise, a malfunction occurred and the propeller was freewheeling. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field; however, the field was covered in water and the ground was soft. After the left landing gear collapsed during the landing roll, the top surface of the right wing was wrinkled and the left wing leading edge was damaged.

The day of the accident, the pilot contacted the Safety Board investigator and indicated that the propeller had been installed and he was conducting a test flight. He stated that the propeller was an older model that was equipped with a new set of propeller blades. At the time of the conversation, he did not know why the malfunction occurred. Following this conversation, the Safety Board investigator and FAA inspector attempted to contact the pilot multiple times regarding the circumstances of the accident, but did not receive a response. The pilot did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the Pilot Operator Report.