# Incident 19951022038319I: Piper PA31310, Galax/Hillsvill, VA, October 22, 1995

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 22, 1995, 17:30 local time
- Place: Galax/Hillsvill, VA
- Airport: Twin County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7660° N, 80.8236° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TWIN COUNTY (HLX), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7660&lon=-80.8236&mi=10
- Aircraft: N85DL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N85DL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-310 (registry code 7103102, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-310) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31310
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540A2B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,220 total, 240 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951022038319I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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