What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Prop was removed for prop seal replacement about 20 hours before accident happened. Based upon findings at the scene it appears that the locking device for the prop nut may not have been installed or installed properly. We were not able to locate prop at scene so there is no way to verify suspicions.
Airman statement of inflight propeller loss, Ercoupe 415C, N87114, Mesquite, Nevada April 14, 2013:
I, privacy data omitted, had completed a VFR flight from lake havasu, AZ (khii) to Mesquite, NV (67L), arriving at 0839 PDT. Ifiled a flight plan with lockheed-martin flight service for my next leg to ely, NV (kely) with a presumed departure time of 0915 (there is no radio contact with fss from the ground at 67L).
I had the tanks filled with 9.9 gallons of 100LL for full tanks prior to my departure. Ground run-up was normal, as was the take-off and initial climb. The aircraft was climbing at about 500 fpm at 2300 RPM with oil pressure, cht's and EGT in normalparameters. About 5 minutes into the flight, ifelt a "low-frequency" vibration which iestimate persisted for about 10 seconds. Iscanned the engine instruments, checked the canopy, and decided that perhaps ihad an rpm-related 'harmonic'. As ireached to adjust the throttle, the engine suddenly surged with the tach passing 4,000 RPM. Iquickly retarded the throttle and realized that I was producing no thrust and could not see the prop movement. At first, icould not believe that the propellor wasn't there,but when iadvanced the throttle it again surged to very high RPM. I was at about 4,200 MSL.
As the airspeed decayed, irecognized that the controls were getting
'Sloppy' due to a shift of the CG. Ipushed the nose down to maintain about
85 Mph and turned south toward 67L. Imade two 'mayday' calls on 122.8 (CTAF at 67L) and announced my position. privacy data omitted, Pilot of a Cessna 172, heard these calls and relayed them to fss.
Realizing that iwould be unable to glide back to the airport, iscanned for
Suitable terrain for a forced landing... But this is an area of rough badlands.
In an effort to reduce my landing speed, it turned back north into a 10-15 knot wind. I spotted two 'jeep' trails and a moderately level ridge and began my descent. Each time itried to reduce my airspeed the aircraft became nearly uncontrollable. The trails appeared very rough, and ihad lost too much altitude trying to maintain controlto make the level ridge. I elected to try for a 'wash' with sloping sides that was rising toward the ridge. My 'short final' was at about 75 mph, and i'flared' at about 30 feet AGL. This resulted in significantly degraded controlresponse as the aircraft got 'nose high' and hit on both main gear, continuing up the 'wash' for about 80-100 feet. The nose gear collapsed as the aircraft progressed
Up the slope at the head of the wash, hitting a joshua tree with the left wing at an estimated 20 mph.
Ishut off the master switch and quickly exited the aircraft, as both wing tanks had ruptured during the roll-out. The 121.5 ELT had been triggered, and itried to call Mesquite UNICOM on my handheld radio. When that failed, icalled fss on my cellphone.
Response was quick as I was only about 3 miles north of 67L. The beaver dam fire department acted as a relay, with me directing a medi-fiight helicopter to my location... The helicopter led search and rescue personnel to me. They arrived with a jeep and pick-up truck within 45 minutes. I then removed the cover of the battery case and disconnected the positive cable to preclude any chance of electrical arcing.
Search and rescue took me to the paved road where a mojave county, AZ sheriff's deputy (brian binkney) was waiting. Isuffered only a slight contusion when the left canopy slider hit my ball cap, forcing my glasses against my left cheek. Irequired no medical attention.
privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
PROP WAS REMOVED FOR PROP SEAL REPLACEMENT ABOUT 20 HOURS BEFORE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. BASED UPON FINDINGS AT THE SCENE IT APPEARS THAT THE LOCKING DEVICE FOR THE PROP NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED OR INSTALLED PROPERLY. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO LOCATE PROP AT SCENE SO THERE IS NO WAY TO VERIFY SUSPICIONS.
AIRMAN STATEMENT OF INFLIGHT PROPELLER LOSS, ERCOUPE 415C, N87114, MESQUITE, NEVADA APRIL 14, 2013:
I, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HAD COMPLETED A VFR FLIGHT FROM LAKE HAVASU, AZ (KHII) TO MESQUITE, NV (67L), ARRIVING AT 0839 PDT. IFILED A FLIGHT PLAN WITH LOCKHEED-MARTIN FLIGHT SERVICE FOR MY NEXT LEG TO ELY, NV (KELY) WITH A PRESUMED DEPARTURE TIME OF 0915 (THERE IS NO RADIO CONTACT WITH FSS FROM THE GROUND AT 67L).
I HAD THE TANKS FILLED WITH 9.9 GALLONS OF 100LL FOR FULL TANKS PRIOR TO MY DEPARTURE. GROUND RUN-UP WAS NORMAL, AS WAS THE TAKE-OFF AND INITIAL CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING AT ABOUT 500 FPM AT 2300 RPM WITH OIL PRESSURE, CHT'S AND EGT IN NORMALPARAMETERS. ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, IFELT A "LOW-FREQUENCY" VIBRATION WHICH IESTIMATE PERSISTED FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. ISCANNED THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS, CHECKED THE CANOPY, AND DECIDED THAT PERHAPS IHAD AN RPM-RELATED 'HARMONIC'. AS IREACHED TO ADJUST THE THROTTLE, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SURGED WITH THE TACH PASSING 4,000 RPM. IQUICKLY RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND REALIZED THAT I WAS PRODUCING NO THRUST AND COULD NOT SEE THE PROP MOVEMENT. AT FIRST, ICOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE PROPELLOR WASN'T THERE,BUT WHEN IADVANCED THE THROTTLE IT AGAIN SURGED TO VERY HIGH RPM. I WAS AT ABOUT 4,200 MSL.
AS THE AIRSPEED DECAYED, IRECOGNIZED THAT THE CONTROLS WERE GETTING
'SLOPPY' DUE TO A SHIFT OF THE CG. IPUSHED THE NOSE DOWN TO MAINTAIN ABOUT
85 MPH AND TURNED SOUTH TOWARD 67L. IMADE TWO 'MAYDAY' CALLS ON 122.8 (CTAF AT 67L) AND ANNOUNCED MY POSITION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT OF A CESSNA 172, HEARD THESE CALLS AND RELAYED THEM TO FSS.
REALIZING THAT IWOULD BE UNABLE TO GLIDE BACK TO THE AIRPORT, ISCANNED FOR
SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING... BUT THIS IS AN AREA OF ROUGH BADLANDS.
IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE MY LANDING SPEED, IT TURNED BACK NORTH INTO A 10-15 KNOT WIND. I SPOTTED TWO 'JEEP' TRAILS AND A MODERATELY LEVEL RIDGE AND BEGAN MY DESCENT. EACH TIME ITRIED TO REDUCE MY AIRSPEED THE AIRCRAFT BECAME NEARLY UNCONTROLLABLE. THE TRAILS APPEARED VERY ROUGH, AND IHAD LOST TOO MUCH ALTITUDE TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROLTO MAKE THE LEVEL RIDGE. I ELECTED TO TRY FOR A 'WASH' WITH SLOPING SIDES THAT WAS RISING TOWARD THE RIDGE. MY 'SHORT FINAL' WAS AT ABOUT 75 MPH, AND I'FLARED' AT ABOUT 30 FEET AGL. THIS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED CONTROLRESPONSE AS THE AIRCRAFT GOT 'NOSE HIGH' AND HIT ON BOTH MAIN GEAR, CONTINUING UP THE 'WASH' FOR ABOUT 80-100 FEET. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AS THE AIRCRAFT PROGRESSED
UP THE SLOPE AT THE HEAD OF THE WASH, HITTING A JOSHUA TREE WITH THE LEFT WING AT AN ESTIMATED 20 MPH.
ISHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND QUICKLY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, AS BOTH WING TANKS HAD RUPTURED DURING THE ROLL-OUT. THE 121.5 ELT HAD BEEN TRIGGERED, AND ITRIED TO CALL MESQUITE UNICOM ON MY HANDHELD RADIO. WHEN THAT FAILED, ICALLED FSS ON MY CELLPHONE.
RESPONSE WAS QUICK AS I WAS ONLY ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF 67L. THE BEAVER DAM FIRE DEPARTMENT ACTED AS A RELAY, WITH ME DIRECTING A MEDI-FIIGHT HELICOPTER TO MY LOCATION... THE HELICOPTER LED SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL TO ME. THEY ARRIVED WITH A JEEP AND PICK-UP TRUCK WITHIN 45 MINUTES. I THEN REMOVED THE COVER OF THE BATTERY CASE AND DISCONNECTED THE POSITIVE CABLE TO PRECLUDE ANY CHANCE OF ELECTRICAL ARCING.
SEARCH AND RESCUE TOOK ME TO THE PAVED ROAD WHERE A MOJAVE COUNTY, AZ SHERIFF'S DEPUTY (BRIAN BINKNEY) WAS WAITING. ISUFFERED ONLY A SLIGHT CONTUSION WHEN THE LEFT CANOPY SLIDER HIT MY BALL CAP, FORCING MY GLASSES AGAINST MY LEFT CHEEK. IREQUIRED NO MEDICAL ATTENTION.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^