NTSB Factual Report

On October 2, 2004, at 1140 Pacific daylight time, a Higgins Acro-Sport II experimental homebuilt, N214JH, was substantially damaged during a forced landing attempt near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight that had originated from Homeport Airport (11WA) near Cheney, Washington, approximately 36 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot said that while in cruise flight, the wood propeller separated from the airplane. He performed a forced landing, and impacted a small ditch during the roll out. Subsequently, the landing gear separated from the airplane, and the main gear attachment points and the engine firewall were damaged/bent. The pilot said that there was approximately 31 hours of flight time on the wood propeller and airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause

The airplane's wood propeller separated from the airplane during cruise. A factor was the ditch that the airplane impacted during the landing roll subsequent to the forced landing.