20180521005739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mark E Rhoads MTO Sport · San Manuel, AZ · May 21, 2018

Date: May 21, 2018 · 08:45 local
Place: San Manuel, AZ
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N574BR
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA158
Reported as: Mark E Rhoads MTO Sport
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,530 total610 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

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.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced severe vibration and a loss of power. Pilot was unaware of the fire and made a 180 turn to return to the airport and landed without incident. Ground personnel extinguished the fire. The propeller hub had failed and one prop blade had departed the aircraft. This caused excessive vibration which resulted in a fuel line failure which caused the in-flight fire. The separated prop blade also contacted one of the main rotors.

As the FAA filed it

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION AND A LOSS OF POWER. PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF THE FIRE AND MADE A 180 TURN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. GROUND PERSONNEL EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE PROPELLER HUB HAD FAILED AND ONE PROP BLADE HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THIS CAUSED EXCESSIVE VIBRATION WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL LINE FAILURE WHICH CAUSED THE IN-FLIGHT FIRE. THE SEPARATED PROP BLADE ALSO CONTACTED ONE OF THE MAIN ROTORS.

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 WPR18LA158Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSan Manuel, AZThe fracture of the propeller hub due to corrosion pitting along the propeller blade root seat, which led to cracking that was propagated due to high-cycle fatigue.May 21, 2018 · Substantial damage