The propeller on a single-engine plane that crashed earlier this month, killing a Tucson man, came off the aircraft before it went down.
The crash, which occurred June 1 west of Marana, resulted in the death of Gerald Van Heeswyk.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board stated that a witness saw the propeller separate from the homemade plane as it flew over.
"One witness stated that after the propeller separated, the airplane pitched upwards and subsequently descended into terrain," the report said. "Another witness reported hearing the engine rev up just prior to the airplane impacting the ground."
The propeller was found more than a half mile southwest of the accident site in the 18000 block of West Avra Valley Road.
Van Heeswyk was the only person in the Lightning 2007, a fixed-wing, single-engine, red-and-white, self-built aircraft. He died at the scene.
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No buildings or homes were damaged, Hanke said.
The plane departed from Ryan Field Airport about two hours before the crash, the report said. A flight plan was not filed.
