Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

October 17, 2003 · Prill RV-6 · N3XS

Snyder, TX

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 17, 2003
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (2 minor injuries)
Location
Snyder, TX
Aircraft
Prill RV-6
Tail Number
N3XS
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
FTW04LA013

The 727-hour private pilot reported that the engine developed a "severe" vibration when the airplane was at about 5,000 feet agl, approximately 15 miles east from the airport. The pilot pulled the throttle back to try to stop the vibration, then pulled the mixture, and pulled the nose up to stop the propeller. He located a pasture to land in; however, he did not see the terraces cut in the pasture that he hit when he landed. He hit the first one and went airborne again, hitting a second one ripping the nose gear back and landing on the nose of the airplane. A tip of one propeller blade was missing and that could not be found.

NTSB Probable Cause

The failure of the propeller blade for undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain.

Full Narrative

On October 17, 2003, approximately 1200 central daylight time, a Prill RV-6 single-engine experimental airplane, N3XS, registered to and operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a severe vibration while descending near Snyder, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight departed from the Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW), near Fort Worth, Texas, at 0800, with the Las Cruces International Airport (LRU), near Las Cruces, New Mexico, as their destination. The 727-hour pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he planned use the Winston Field Airport (SNK), near Snyder, Texas, as his intermediate refueling point for his flight to Las Cruces. The pilot stated that the engine developed a "severe" vibration when the airplane was descending thought about 5,000 feet agl, approximately 15 miles east from the airport. The pilot added that he pulled the throttle back in order to stop the vibration to no avail. He subsequently pulled the mixture to the closed position and then pulled the nose up to stop the rotation of the propeller, which stopped the vibration. The pilot located an open pasture and elected to line-up the airplane for a forced landing. The terraces that were cut in the pasture were not visible from the airplane. During the landing roll, the main landing gear collided with the first set of terraces and the airplane became airborne. During the collision with the second terrace, the left main landing gear was "ripped-back." According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, a tip of one of the wooden propeller blades was missing and that could not be found. Additionally, the left main landing gear was pushed aft, the engine firewall was bent and the engine mounts were damaged. The remaining pieces of the Aymar-Demuth (model 3600) wooden propeller were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory, in Washington D.C., for examination; however, the Lab was unable to determine the failure mode of the propeller due to the limited amount of pieces provided. The pilot/builder of the aircraft reported that the propeller had accumulated a total of 284 hours since new.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:00 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPrill RV-6
Tail NumberN3XS
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-360-AIA · Reciprocating · 180
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (2 minor injuries)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor2
Uninjured0
Total2
Crew 1Age 49 · Second Class · Minor

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind30° @ 8 kt, gusting 16 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point68 F / 45 C
Altimeter30.32 inHg
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data