Accident Details
On November 5, 2017, at about 1140 central standard time, a T-Bird II airplane, registration N618ER, impacted terrain near St. Marys, Kansas. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that he and the airplane owner planned to take a short flight around the traffic pattern to assess if they were clothed warmly enough for a subsequent flight. They departed from runway 36, climbed to about 1,000 ft, and turned left for the downwind leg when they heard a loud "crack" and the engine began to vibrate. To avoid powerlines, the pilot applied power, but the engine did not respond. He then turned sharply left, stating that he tried to stop the turn and descent; however, the elevators and ailerons were unresponsive. The airplane continued turning and dropped rapidly until it impacted a ravine.
Witness Observation
A neighbor reported seeing something "flutter" into a tree and something else fall when the engine sound "stopped." The object retrieved from the tree was the passenger's knitted hat, the top of which was "chewed up" and had a burnt or melted area in the shape of a line. The object that fell in the yard was retrieved and identified as one of the airplane's propeller blades.
Aircraft Examination
An examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage. One blade from the three-bladed pusher propeller had separated from the propeller hub.