What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft left engine detached from the acft, and the pilot made an emergency landing in the woods north of the arpt, other circumstances are unknown. (.4) while maneuvering the airplane at 4,000 feet above ground level, the flightcrew heard a loud noise from the left engine and saw that the left engine had dropped down about 45 degrees from the normal position. They returned to the departure airport for an emergency landing. When the landing gear was extended the left engine dropped down further. They were unable to maintain directional control due to the drag and made a forced landing in a wooded area. Post crash examination showed the left propeller hub had failed due to fatigue cracking causing a blade to separate. The remainder of the propeller separated when the propeller flange separated due to overstress and the engine dropped down when the engine mount separated due to overstress. The left propeller had sustained damage in a gear up landing 525 flight hours before the accident. The blades were bent beyond repairable limits and scrapped. The hub was inspected and returned to service with new blades. The manufacturer's procedures call for a hub to be retired if the blades receive damage beyond repairable limits and are scrapped.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LEFT ENGINE DETACHED FROM THE ACFT, AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE WOODS NORTH OF THE ARPT, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRPLANE AT 4,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE FLIGHTCREW HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE LEFT ENGINE AND SAW THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD DROPPED DOWN ABOUT 45 DEGREES FROM THE NORMAL POSITION. THEY RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED THE LEFT ENGINE DROPPED DOWN FURTHER. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO THE DRAG AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA. POST CRASH EXAMINATION SHOWED THE LEFT PROPELLER HUB HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING CAUSING A BLADE TO SEPARATE. THE REMAINDER OF THE PROPELLER SEPARATED WHEN THE PROPELLER FLANGE SEPARATED DUE TO OVERSTRESS AND THE ENGINE DROPPED DOWN WHEN THE ENGINE MOUNT SEPARATED DUE TO OVERSTRESS. THE LEFT PROPELLER HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN A GEAR UP LANDING 525 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE BLADES WERE BENT BEYOND REPAIRABLE LIMITS AND SCRAPPED. THE HUB WAS INSPECTED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE WITH NEW BLADES. THE MANUFACTURER'S PROCEDURES CALL FOR A HUB TO BE RETIRED IF THE BLADES RECEIVE DAMAGE BEYOND REPAIRABLE LIMITS AND ARE SCRAPPED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.