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19951022038319I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-310 · Galax/Hillsvill, VA · October 22, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 22, 1995 · 17:30 local
Place
Galax/Hillsvill, VA
Airport
Twin County Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N85DL
Reported as
Piper PA31310
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540A2B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,220 total240 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N85DLRegistered now · Piper PA-31-310S/N 31-23 · Built 1967Airframe modelPiper PA-31-310Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: aircraft departed rockingham, NC at 1600 hr. While enroute to pineville, WV at 4800 MSL, at 1630 hr. Excessive vibration was noted by PIC. PIC reduced power on both engines, vibration subsided. PIC visually noted left engine nacelle shaking violently. Left engine inflight shutdown was accomplished w/o incident. Aircraft landed at (hlx) hillsville, VA without difficulty after declaring emergency with greensboro approach control. After landing, visual inspection of aircraft by PIC revealed approximately 12" of one propeller blade had separated from prop assembly and engine exhaust collectors were separated from exhaust system. Inspection of aircraft on 10-26-95 by crw FSDO personnel revealed damage limited to engine exhaust turbocharger mounting structure and turbocharger assembly. Inspection of propeller assembly revealed single blade fracture and separation 11.5" from blade tip. Blade leading edge had evidence of damage (nick) at forward most fracture line. Fracture showed evidence of fatigue stress and rapid failure. Source of blade nick unknown. Engine to be inspected by appropriate maintenance facility. Propeller to be returned to manufacturer. Matter considered closed. 8010-4 submitted to AFS-643 by FSDO.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ROCKINGHAM, NC AT 1600 HR. WHILE ENROUTE TO PINEVILLE, WV AT 4800 MSL, AT 1630 HR. EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WAS NOTED BY PIC. PIC REDUCED POWER ON BOTH ENGINES, VIBRATION SUBSIDED. PIC VISUALLY NOTED LEFT ENGINE NACELLE SHAKING VIOLENTLY. LEFT ENGINE INFLIGHT SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED W/O INCIDENT. AIRCRAFT LANDED AT (HLX) HILLSVILLE, VA WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AFTER DECLARING EMERGENCY WITH GREENSBORO APPROACH CONTROL. AFTER LANDING, VISUAL INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT BY PIC REVEALED APPROXIMATELY 12" OF ONE PROPELLER BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM PROP ASSEMBLY AND ENGINE EXHAUST COLLECTORS WERE SEPARATED FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM. INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT ON 10-26-95 BY CRW FSDO PERSONNEL REVEALED DAMAGE LIMITED TO ENGINE EXHAUST TURBOCHARGER MOUNTING STRUCTURE AND TURBOCHARGER ASSEMBLY. INSPECTION OF PROPELLER ASSEMBLY REVEALED SINGLE BLADE FRACTURE AND SEPARATION 11.5" FROM BLADE TIP. BLADE LEADING EDGE HAD EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE (NICK) AT FORWARD MOST FRACTURE LINE. FRACTURE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE STRESS AND RAPID FAILURE. SOURCE OF BLADE NICK UNKNOWN. ENGINE TO BE INSPECTED BY APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE FACILITY. PROPELLER TO BE RETURNED TO MANUFACTURER. MATTER CONSIDERED CLOSED. 8010-4 SUBMITTED TO AFS-643 BY FSDO.