# Incident 19980324009339I: Piper PA28180, Leroy, IL, March 24, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 1998, 10:30 local time
- Place: Leroy, IL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.3394° N, 88.7611° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Le Roy, IL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3394&lon=-88.7611&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9244J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9244J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A3A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 750 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980324009339I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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