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19980324009339I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Leroy, IL · March 24, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 24, 1998 · 10:30 local
Place
Leroy, IL
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9244J
Reported as
Piper PA28180
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A3A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total750 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N9244JRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-3319Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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: N9244J, a PA-28, was in cruise flight at 3500 feet above sea level, when one propeller blade fractured, approximately ten inches from the propeller hub, and separated from the aircraft. The pilot reported that he heard a "loud bang" and noticed a section of the propeller missing. He then retarded the throttle to idle and shut off the switches supplying electrical power to the aircraft. He stated that he began the emergency landing procedures and completed two spirals, while gliding, before landing on a county road. He then pushed the aircraft onto a farm field access road, adjacent to the county road, to be clear of automobile traffic. No injuries were sustained by the pilot or passenger during this incident. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed that the propeller, a two bladed-fixed pitch sensenich, had lost one of the two blades. The separation occurred approximately 10 to 12 inches from the blade root. The vibration that followed this separation proceeded to cause extensive damage to the engine, engine components, and engine mount. Cause of failure is unknown. This incident is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: N9244J, A PA-28, WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 3500 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, WHEN ONE PROPELLER BLADE FRACTURED, APPROXIMATELY TEN INCHES FROM THE PROPELLER HUB, AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A "LOUD BANG" AND NOTICED A SECTION OF THE PROPELLER MISSING. HE THEN RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND SHUT OFF THE SWITCHES SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT HE BEGAN THE EMERGENCY LANDING PROCEDURES AND COMPLETED TWO SPIRALS, WHILE GLIDING, BEFORE LANDING ON A COUNTY ROAD. HE THEN PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO A FARM FIELD ACCESS ROAD, ADJACENT TO THE COUNTY ROAD, TO BE CLEAR OF AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGER DURING THIS INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER, A TWO BLADED-FIXED PITCH SENSENICH, HAD LOST ONE OF THE TWO BLADES. THE SEPARATION OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 INCHES FROM THE BLADE ROOT. THE VIBRATION THAT FOLLOWED THIS SEPARATION PROCEEDED TO CAUSE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, ENGINE COMPONENTS, AND ENGINE MOUNT. CAUSE OF FAILURE IS UNKNOWN. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.