What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 16, 2014 at 0840 hours, an experimental homebuilt aircraft, N32YX, serial number 0099, sonex Waiex, experienced a separation of the engine crankshaft at the propeller hub. The propeller struck the underside of the left wing leading edge as it departed from the aircraft causing a small dent to the skin. The pilot made an uneventful landing in a cornfield with no injuries. The loss was experienced while in level cruise flight and during VMC conditions. The owner, privacy data omitted is a private pilot with 406 hours of flight time, 6 in type and model. The owner stated the engine vibrated in flight twice briefly and the third time the vibration was substantial before the separation. The crankshaft was found broken at the bottom of a blind hole where the bolt thread ends that holds the prop hub on to the crank. The separation appeared circular in progression around the crankshaft starting and ending at the same point and terminating with shear lips. Beach marks were observed.
On June 19 the owner stated he found the propeller. Operations inspector paul prior and myself went to privacy data omitted home and found approximately 2 inches of one blade tip missing and the fiberglass covering had ripped the wood approximately 9 additional inches from a tip to hub direction. The fiberglass covering showed signs of delamination on the face of the blade that was missing the tip. The owner stated that the delamination was there since he bought the aircraft in January, 2014 and he flew the aircraft 4.5 hours with the delamination present.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 16, 2014 AT 0840 HOURS, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT, N32YX, SERIAL NUMBER 0099, SONEX WAIEX, EXPERIENCED A SEPARATION OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT AT THE PROPELLER HUB. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AS IT DEPARTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING A SMALL DENT TO THE SKIN. THE PILOT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING IN A CORNFIELD WITH NO INJURIES. THE LOSS WAS EXPERIENCED WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT AND DURING VMC CONDITIONS. THE OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A PRIVATE PILOT WITH 406 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, 6 IN TYPE AND MODEL. THE OWNER STATED THE ENGINE VIBRATED IN FLIGHT TWICE BRIEFLY AND THE THIRD TIME THE VIBRATION WAS SUBSTANTIAL BEFORE THE SEPARATION. THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FOUND BROKEN AT THE BOTTOM OF A BLIND HOLE WHERE THE BOLT THREAD ENDS THAT HOLDS THE PROP HUB ON TO THE CRANK. THE SEPARATION APPEARED CIRCULAR IN PROGRESSION AROUND THE CRANKSHAFT STARTING AND ENDING AT THE SAME POINT AND TERMINATING WITH SHEAR LIPS. BEACH MARKS WERE OBSERVED.
ON JUNE 19 THE OWNER STATED HE FOUND THE PROPELLER. OPERATIONS INSPECTOR PAUL PRIOR AND MYSELF WENT TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOME AND FOUND APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF ONE BLADE TIP MISSING AND THE FIBERGLASS COVERING HAD RIPPED THE WOOD APPROXIMATELY 9 ADDITIONAL INCHES FROM A TIP TO HUB DIRECTION. THE FIBERGLASS COVERING SHOWED SIGNS OF DELAMINATION ON THE FACE OF THE BLADE THAT WAS MISSING THE TIP. THE OWNER STATED THAT THE DELAMINATION WAS THERE SINCE HE BOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT IN JANUARY, 2014 AND HE FLEW THE AIRCRAFT 4.5 HOURS WITH THE DELAMINATION PRESENT.
Other reports on N32YX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.