# Incident 20050411007019I: Cessna 340A, Smithfield, NC, April 11, 2005

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 11, 2005, 09:15 local time
- Place: Smithfield, NC
- Airport: Johnston County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: HBTA
- Location: 35.5409° N, 78.3903° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JOHNSTON RGNL (JNX), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.5409&lon=-78.3903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N68RC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N68RC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 340A (registry code 2076405, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-340a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 340A
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,465 total, 1,793 in this make and model, 143 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050411007019I

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED JNX ON A PART 91 POST MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONAL CHECK FLIGHT. THE PREFLIGHT AND RUN-UP WAS COMPLETED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND BEGAN TO CLIMB. APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500' THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN. THE PILOT REDUCED THE LEFT THROTTLE TO THE IDLE POSITION. QUICKLY THEREAFTER A LOUD "POP" WAS HEARD AND THE LEFT PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT NOTED THE PROPELLER ROTATING AHEAD OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DESCENDING WITH ALL THREE BLADES ATTACHED TO THE HUB. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RETURN TO JNX AND COMPLETED A SHUTDOWN OF THE LEFT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED AT JNX WITH NO OTHER DIFFICULTIES. THE PILOT SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND SAFELY EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT.

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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