# Incident 19970415009419I: Bnorm BN2B21, Bethel, AK, April 15, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 15, 1997, 09:00 local time
- Place: Bethel, AK
- Airport: Bethel
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: FWRA
- Location: 60.7922° N, 161.7558° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bethel, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.7922&lon=-161.7558&mi=10
- Aircraft: N414JA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BNORM BN2B21
- Reported engine: LYC O540*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total, 66 in this make and model, 182 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970415009419I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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