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20200207004279I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24 · Reno, NV · February 7, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 7, 2020 · 15:22 local
Place
Reno, NV
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6768P
Reported as
Piper PA-24
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N6768PRegistered now · Piper PA-24S/N 24-1899 · Built 1960Airframe modelPiper PA-24Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 stated that during his takeoff roll he accelerated to almost rotation speed and then heard a loud bang. He immediately retarded the throttle to idle and brought the airplane to a controlled stop. The airplane never left the ground. There was smoke (oil) in the cockpit so the pilot secured and exited the airplane. It was only then did he realize that the propeller had separated from the engine crankshaft flange. Initial evaluation indicates that the propeller mounting bolts failed releasing the propeller.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING HIS TAKEOFF ROLL HE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST ROTATION SPEED AND THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG. HE IMMEDIATELY RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A CONTROLLED STOP. THE AIRPLANE NEVER LEFT THE GROUND. THERE WAS SMOKE (OIL) IN THE COCKPIT SO THE PILOT SECURED AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS ONLY THEN DID HE REALIZE THAT THE PROPELLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE. INITIAL EVALUATION INDICATES THAT THE PROPELLER MOUNTING BOLTS FAILED RELEASING THE PROPELLER.