N923ZA

On March 10, 2025, about 1240 central daylight time, an experimental RV-7A airplane, N923ZA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Plainview, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight.

The pilot reported that the accident flight was the second leg of the flight. The first leg of the flight was about 2 hours and 15 minutes and was uneventful. After landing, the airplane was refueled, and he was in the process of departing for the destination airport. He reported that the takeoff was “smooth” until he reached 800 ft above ground level (agl), when the airplane shuddered and shook violently. He reduced the throttle, which reduced the shaking, then completed a forced landing in a field. After landing, the pilot noticed that one of the three propeller blades had separated from the hub and was found nearby in the field.

A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the propeller was installed on December 19, 2023, and had accumulated about 25 hours of time in service. During the last two condition inspections, the propeller had been inspected and was determined to be in airworthy condition.

The airplane was retained for further examination.