# Accident 19990926047819A: Piper PA28180, Vaughn, WA, September 26, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 26, 1999, 14:30 local time
- Place: Vaughn, WA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.3094° N, 122.7709° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.3094&lon=-122.7709&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9395J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9395J) (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: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 926 total, 886 in this make and model, 54 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA99LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA174) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990926047819A

## Narrative

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

(-23) SIGHTSEEING AT 2000 FT 2000 RPM ENGINE GOT VERY ROUGH. MADE EMERGENCY LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT IN PRIVATE STRIP IN VAUGHN, WA. 6" OF 1 BLADE TIP OF PROP MISSING. (.4) WHILE IN CRUISE AT 2,000 FEET ALTITUDE AND 2,000 RPM THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER AND EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. POST-LANDING EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES OF ONE PROPELLER BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER. THE SENSENICH CORPORATION, FIXED PITCH, ALUMINUM PROPELLER, MODEL 76EM8S5-0-60, WAS SUBMITTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD'S MATERIALS LABORATORY, WASHINGTON, DC, FOR FURTHER METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED A FLAT, CHORDWISE FRACTURE AREA THAT CONTAINED CRACK ARREST POSITIONS AND RADIAL MARKS TYPICAL OF FATIGUE CRACKING. MICROSCOPY REVEALED THAT THE ORIGIN AREA WAS LOCATED WITHIN A NOTCH AT THE LEADING EDGE AT THE FLAT SIDE OF THE BLADE. THE DEPTH OF THE NOTCH WAS ABOUT 0.008 INCH. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BLADE CONTAINED SANDING MARKS, TYPICAL OF A BLEND REPAIR, IN THE VICINITY OF THE NOTCH. THE SANDING MARKS DID NOT EXTEND INTO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE NOTC                                                         H, DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE FRACTURE SURFACE AT THE ORIGIN AREA. FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR 43.13-1A, SECTION 3 'REPAIR OF METAL PROPELLERS,' PARAGRAPH 585(A) DISCUSSES PROCEDURES APPLIED TO THE REPAIR OF ALUMINUM PROPELLERS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS REFERENCE ADDRESSES ROUNDING OUT OF NICKS, SCARS, CUTS, ETC. BY ADVISING '...EXERCISE CARE TO REMOVE THE DEEPEST POINT OF THE INJURY.' THE TOTAL TIME ON THE PROPELLER WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE PARTY WHO EXECUTED THE PROPELLER DRESSING PROCEDURE WAS NOT KNOWN.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA99LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA174), Sep 26, 1999: Piper PA-28-180 (N9395J), Vaughn, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The separation of a propeller blade tip due to fatigue, and the improper maintenance procedure.

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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