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19970415009419I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bnorm BN2B21 · Bethel, AK · April 15, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 15, 1997 · 09:00 local
Place
Bethel, AK
Airport
Bethel
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
FWRA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N414JA
Reported as
Bnorm BN2B21
Reported engine
Lycoming O540*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,500 total66 in this make and model182 in the last 90 days

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 N414JA (a britten-norman BN-2B-21 multiengine) departed tooksook bay, Alaska on April 15, 1997, at 11:55AM local time. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight problems began to surface with the propeller synchronization and required the pilot to use above normal separation to maintain propeller synchronization. Within a few seconds of this discovery, a loud "bang" was heard by the pilot, followed by "strong vibrations" throughout the aircraft (propeller failure occurred at approximately 40NM on the Bethel 240 radial at 1500 MSL). The left engine was then shutdown/secured and a visual inspection was conducted. The inspection revealed that a large section of the left engine propeller was missing. The pilot then contacted his company operations office and advised them of the situation. He then contacted the Bethel Alaska tower and advised them of his current status and relayed his request for an immediate clearance upon arrival due to his one engine status. The aircraft landed without incident and no subsequent damage has been located on the aircraft. Propeller and engine are both being removed from the aircraft for overhaul and inspection.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT N414JA (A BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2B-21 MULTIENGINE) DEPARTED TOOKSOOK BAY, ALASKA ON APRIL 15, 1997, AT 11:55AM LOCAL TIME. APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT PROBLEMS BEGAN TO SURFACE WITH THE PROPELLER SYNCHRONIZATION AND REQUIRED THE PILOT TO USE ABOVE NORMAL SEPARATION TO MAINTAIN PROPELLER SYNCHRONIZATION. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF THIS DISCOVERY, A LOUD "BANG" WAS HEARD BY THE PILOT, FOLLOWED BY "STRONG VIBRATIONS" THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT (PROPELLER FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 40NM ON THE BETHEL 240 RADIAL AT 1500 MSL). THE LEFT ENGINE WAS THEN SHUTDOWN/SECURED AND A VISUAL INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A LARGE SECTION OF THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS MISSING. THE PILOT THEN CONTACTED HIS COMPANY OPERATIONS OFFICE AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. HE THEN CONTACTED THE BETHEL ALASKA TOWER AND ADVISED THEM OF HIS CURRENT STATUS AND RELAYED HIS REQUEST FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLEARANCE UPON ARRIVAL DUE TO HIS ONE ENGINE STATUS. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NO SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE HAS BEEN LOCATED ON THE AIRCRAFT. PROPELLER AND ENGINE ARE BOTH BEING REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT FOR OVERHAUL AND INSPECTION.