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20220118001119I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Aero Commander 100-180 · Norman, OK · January 18, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 18, 2022 · 12:40 local
Place
Norman, OK
Airport
University Of Oklahoma Westhei
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4096X
Reported as
Aero Commander 100-180
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
279 total
N4096XRegistered now · Aero Commander 100-180S/N 5196 · Built 1970Airframe modelAero Commander 100-180Engine 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.

On January 18, 2022, a student pilot and instructor pilot were performing pattern work at max westheimer airport in Norman, Oklahoma when the propeller spinner cone departed the aircraft. Both pilots stated they did not see the spinner cone depart the aircraft but rather felt an unusual vibration and decided to land the aircraft. After landing and on inspection of the aircraft they noticed the spinner cone was missing and all that remained was the backing plate of the spinner cone. There was no other damage to the aircraft. The other portion of the spinner cone was later retrieved by airport personnel and there were what appeared to be evidence of metal stress fractures in the area of the spinner cone backing plate where it attached to the propeller. The damaged spinner cone backing plate was removed and the aircraft was returned to service. A review of the aircraft records did not indicate any recent maintenance had been performed in the area of the propeller or spinner cone and the annual inspection of this aircraft was current at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 18, 2022, A STUDENT PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR PILOT WERE PERFORMING PATTERN WORK AT MAX WESTHEIMER AIRPORT IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA WHEN THE PROPELLER SPINNER CONE DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH PILOTS STATED THEY DID NOT SEE THE SPINNER CONE DEPART THE AIRCRAFT BUT RATHER FELT AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION AND DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER LANDING AND ON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT THEY NOTICED THE SPINNER CONE WAS MISSING AND ALL THAT REMAINED WAS THE BACKING PLATE OF THE SPINNER CONE. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE OTHER PORTION OF THE SPINNER CONE WAS LATER RETRIEVED BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND THERE WERE WHAT APPEARED TO BE EVIDENCE OF METAL STRESS FRACTURES IN THE AREA OF THE SPINNER CONE BACKING PLATE WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE PROPELLER. THE DAMAGED SPINNER CONE BACKING PLATE WAS REMOVED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS DID NOT INDICATE ANY RECENT MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN THE AREA OF THE PROPELLER OR SPINNER CONE AND THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THIS AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.