What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 28, 2011, about 1345 pacific daylight time, a Wheeler vans RV-6A, N642DW, experienced in-flight separation of a propeller blade during climb out from the Albany municipal airport, Albany, Oregon. Following departure of the blade all engine power was lost, and the pilot made a forced landing on a grass field a few miles north of the departure airport. The airplane was substantially damaged during the propeller blade separation event. The experimental airplane was built by the pilot. Neither the pilot nor passenger was injured during the personal flight. No flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Albany about 1341. The pilot reported that a few minutes after takeoff he heard a loud noise and felt a vibration when an aluminumpropeller blade (manufactured by m-t propeller) separated from the airplane. During the subsequent examination of the airplane, wrinkles in the aluminum upper surface of both elevators, and a portion of the upper surface of the firewall was bent. One entire propeller blade was missing from the cracked hub. The pilot stated that the propeller assembly had undergone maintenance on three occasions. These occasions were prompted by the pilot's observation of hub grease seeping onto the shank portion of the blades. Having observed this leakage, the pilot removed the propeller and hub assembly and returned it to American propeller service for inspection and repair. The propeller had been installed on the aircraft for seven hour prior to the component failure and subsequent accident. The entire propeller assembly has been recovered and is being stored at NM FSDO 09.NM FSDO 09 is awaiting NTSB instructions for handling and disposition of the propeller assembly.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 28, 2011, ABOUT 1345 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEELER VANS RV-6A, N642DW, EXPERIENCED IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF A PROPELLER BLADE DURING CLIMB OUT FROM THE ALBANY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, ALBANY, OREGON. FOLLOWING DEPARTURE OF THE BLADE ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST, AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A GRASS FIELD A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE PROPELLER BLADE SEPARATION EVENT. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS BUILT BY THE PILOT. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR PASSENGER WAS INJURED DURING THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ALBANY ABOUT 1341. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A FEW MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A VIBRATION WHEN AN ALUMINUMPROPELLER BLADE (MANUFACTURED BY M-T PROPELLER) SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, WRINKLES IN THE ALUMINUM UPPER SURFACE OF BOTH ELEVATORS, AND A PORTION OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE FIREWALL WAS BENT. ONE ENTIRE PROPELLER BLADE WAS MISSING FROM THE CRACKED HUB. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY HAD UNDERGONE MAINTENANCE ON THREE OCCASIONS. THESE OCCASIONS WERE PROMPTED BY THE PILOT'S OBSERVATION OF HUB GREASE SEEPING ONTO THE SHANK PORTION OF THE BLADES. HAVING OBSERVED THIS LEAKAGE, THE PILOT REMOVED THE PROPELLER AND HUB ASSEMBLY AND RETURNED IT TO AMERICAN PROPELLER SERVICE FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. THE PROPELLER HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT FOR SEVEN HOUR PRIOR TO THE COMPONENT FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT.THE ENTIRE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN RECOVERED AND IS BEING STORED AT NM FSDO 09.NM FSDO 09 IS AWAITING NTSB INSTRUCTIONS FOR HANDLING AND DISPOSITION OF THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.