What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed nunapitchuk, Alaska for a flight to Bethel, Alaska. Cruise altitude was around 1200-1500 feet AGL, engine RPM around 2500. About 10 miles west of the Bethel airport the pilot noticed a strange vibration coming from the engine, assuming it was carburetor icing he applied carburetor heat, the RPM dropped and the vibration got worse. Oil temp and pressure seemed normal at the time (pilot statement). Returned power to 2500 RPM where the vibration was the least of what he was experiencing. After about another minute the vibration suddenly started to rapidly worsen, oil temp. Was drastically higher than normal but still in the green, and the oil pressure was slightly below the green arc. The pilot notified the Bethel control tower informing them of the engine problems and requested a straight in for runway 12.shortly after the radio call the engine vibration rapidly became extreme and terminated with a loud bang and a shower of sparks coming from the left side of the engine cowling, and at this point the engine was no longer producing power. The pilot then made an uneventful landing on a frozen lake bed, and after coming to a stop the pilot called the Bethel control tower and informed them of the situation. After securing the aircraft the pilot inspected the outside of the aircraft and found that the propeller had departed the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NUNAPITCHUK, ALASKA FOR A FLIGHT TO BETHEL, ALASKA. CRUISE ALTITUDE WAS AROUND 1200-1500 FEET AGL, ENGINE RPM AROUND 2500. ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF THE BETHEL AIRPORT THE PILOT NOTICED A STRANGE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE ENGINE, ASSUMING IT WAS CARBURETOR ICING HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, THE RPM DROPPED AND THE VIBRATION GOT WORSE. OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE SEEMED NORMAL AT THE TIME (PILOT STATEMENT). RETURNED POWER TO 2500 RPM WHERE THE VIBRATION WAS THE LEAST OF WHAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING. AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER MINUTE THE VIBRATION SUDDENLY STARTED TO RAPIDLY WORSEN, OIL TEMP. WAS DRASTICALLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL BUT STILL IN THE GREEN, AND THE OIL PRESSURE WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE GREEN ARC.THE PILOT NOTIFIED THE BETHEL CONTROL TOWER INFORMING THEM OF THE ENGINE PROBLEMS AND REQUESTED A STRAIGHT IN FOR RUNWAY 12.SHORTLY AFTER THE RADIO CALL THE ENGINE VIBRATION RAPIDLY BECAME EXTREME AND TERMINATED WITH A LOUD BANG AND A SHOWER OF SPARKS COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING, AND AT THIS POINT THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER PRODUCING POWER.THE PILOT THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON A FROZEN LAKE BED, AND AFTER COMING TO A STOP THE PILOT CALLED THE BETHEL CONTROL TOWER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION.AFTER SECURING THE AIRCRAFT THE PILOT INSPECTED THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THAT THE PROPELLER HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT.
Other reports on N20109 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.