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20120322003589A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Reich Gordon GLASTAR · Caldwell, ID · March 22, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 22, 2012 · 10:45 local
Place
Caldwell, ID
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N617G
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12LA143
Reported as
Reich Gordon Glastar
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-B1A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
13,322 total216 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N617GRegistered now · Reich Gordon GLASTARS/N 5752 · Built 2006Airframe modelReich Gordon GLASTAREngine modelLycoming IO-360-B1AReciprocating

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.

The pilot was taking off runway 12 at eul (Caldwell, ID), during climb out the pilot experienced a severe vibration at about 200 ft AGL. The vibration caused the cowling to come off the aircraft, oil to be sprayed onto the windscreen and the aircraft to start on fire while in the air. The pilot was able to regain control of the aircraft and performed a relatively normal landing coming to rest just off the left side of the runway. The vibration was caused by one of the two propeller blades breaking flush with the hub and departing the aircraft. The shank of the blade stayed in the propeller hub. The vibration caused the upper mounting lugs to break off the engine causing 2 large holes in the rear of the crankcase allowing oil to be sprayed onto the aircraft and windscreen. The lower right mount bolt was missing. The engine was held onto the airframe by only the lower right engine mount bolt. The fuel pump was broken causing fuel to escape and subsequently light on fire. The propeller blade was located about 130 yards from the end of the runway 12 and 100 yards to the right of the center line of the runway. The aircraft came to rest approximately 600 yards from the departure end of runway 12.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF RUNWAY 12 AT EUL (CALDWELL, ID), DURING CLIMB OUT THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL. THE VIBRATION CAUSED THE COWLING TO COME OFF THE AIRCRAFT, OIL TO BE SPRAYED ONTO THE WINDSCREEN AND THE AIRCRAFT TO START ON FIRE WHILE IN THE AIR. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A RELATIVELY NORMAL LANDING COMING TO REST JUST OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE VIBRATION WAS CAUSED BY ONE OF THE TWO PROPELLER BLADES BREAKING FLUSH WITH THE HUB AND DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT. THE SHANK OF THE BLADE STAYED IN THE PROPELLER HUB. THE VIBRATION CAUSED THE UPPER MOUNTING LUGS TO BREAK OFF THE ENGINE CAUSING 2 LARGE HOLES IN THE REAR OF THE CRANKCASE ALLOWING OIL TO BE SPRAYED ONTO THE AIRCRAFT AND WINDSCREEN. THE LOWER RIGHT MOUNT BOLT WAS MISSING. THE ENGINE WAS HELD ONTO THE AIRFRAME BY ONLY THE LOWER RIGHT ENGINE MOUNT BOLT. THE FUEL PUMP WAS BROKEN CAUSING FUEL TO ESCAPE AND SUBSEQUENTLY LIGHT ON FIRE.THE PROPELLER BLADE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 130 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY 12 AND 100 YARDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 600 YARDS FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 12.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR12LA143Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCaldwell, IDThe failure of a propeller blade at the hub due to fatigue cracking.Mar 22, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N617G · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20230804020409ATakeoff: Departure Roll · Idaho City, IDThe aircraft crashed due to unknown circumstances while Attempting to takeoff in the southwest bound Direction. The aircraft impacted two treesAug 4, 2023 · Destroyed · 1 fatal