20020225004459I

Incident

FAA incident report · Amrgen AA-1 · Orange, VA · February 25, 2002

Date: February 25, 2002 · 12:30 local
Place: Orange, VA
Airport: Orange County Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5999L
Reported as: Amrgen AA1
Reported engine: Lycoming O235C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 202 total120 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N5999LRegistration cancelled Mar 28, 2018 · American AA-1S/N AA1-0299 Airframe modelAmerican AA-1 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

(-23) On 02/25/02, while cruising at 5000 feet, approximately five miles past the Orange County Airport (W93), the pilot reported a severe vibration problem to ATC. The pilot made an uneventful landing on runway 25 and taxied to the ramp without incident. After shut down, the pilot discovered that four 4 inches of one blade tip was missing. Further investigation revealed that a small pebble had nicked the leading edge of the blade, causing a crack to develop, which ultimately contributed to the loss of the blade up. The total time on the propeller was 2642 hours, and the time since overhaul was 142 hours.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 02/25/02, WHILE CRUISING AT 5000 FEET, APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES PAST THE ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT (W93), THE PILOT REPORTED A SEVERE VIBRATION PROBLEM TO ATC. THE PILOT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 25 AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER SHUT DOWN, THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT FOUR 4 INCHES OF ONE BLADE TIP WAS MISSING. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A SMALL PEBBLE HAD NICKED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BLADE, CAUSING A CRACK TO DEVELOP, WHICH ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF THE BLADE UP. THE TOTAL TIME ON THE PROPELLER WAS 2642 HOURS, AND THE TIME SINCE OVERHAUL WAS 142 HOURS.