20250327007819A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Waipahu, HI · March 27, 2025

Date: March 27, 2025 · 12:01 local
Place: Waipahu, HI
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N261FC
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC25LA028
Reported as: Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,175 total

N261FCRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-24697 · Built 1968 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Flight was part 91 intrductory flight instruction departed hnl and precedded to practice area. During flight to practice area, pilot noticed significant vibration coming from the engine. Terminated flight and began flight back to hnl. Aircraft lost power, pilot declared an emergency and began looking for a place to land. Landed aircraft in field impacted brush and small trees. Minor injuries to pilot and passenger.

Received a report that a pice of the aircraft had crashed through the roof in the area of the event. Piece was found to be the propeller still attached to a portion of propeller mounting flange of the engine crankshaft. Flange had fractured between holes in the flange. Crack faces appear to have developed over time.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT WAS PART 91 INTRDUCTORY FLIGHT INSTRUCTION DEPARTED HNL AND PRECEDDED TO PRACTICE AREA. DURING FLIGHT TO PRACTICE AREA, PILOT NOTICED SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE ENGINE. TERMINATED FLIGHT AND BEGAN FLIGHT BACK TO HNL. AIRCRAFT LOST POWER, PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. LANDED AIRCRAFT IN FIELD IMPACTED BRUSH AND SMALL TREES. MINOR INJURIES TO PILOT AND PASSENGER.

RECEIVED A REPORT THAT A PICE OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED THROUGH THE ROOF IN THE AREA OF THE EVENT. PIECE WAS FOUND TO BE THE PROPELLER STILL ATTACHED TO A PORTION OF PROPELLER MOUNTING FLANGE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT.FLANGE HAD FRACTURED BETWEEN HOLES IN THE FLANGE. CRACK FACES APPEAR TO HAVE DEVELOPED OVER TIME.

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 ANC25LA028Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportRoyal Kunia, HIImproper alteration of the crankshaft propeller flange at an unknown time, which resulted in an in-flight separation of the propeller assembly.Mar 27, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N261FC · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20020413007389ILevel Off Touchdown · Honolulu, HI(-23) On 04/13/02 during a training flight that was conducted under part 141. While on final approach everything appeared to be normal, but upon touchdown the flight instructor and student heard a sound like a blown tire. Flight instructor immediately took…Apr 13, 2002 · Minor damage Incident 20010608015459ITakeoff Ground Roll · Kapolei, HI(-23) The student pilot was on a solo flight and was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 4L. The winds were reported as variable at 6 knots. While attempting a soft-field takeoff, the aircraft drifted off the left side of the runway and the left…Jun 8, 2001 · Minor damage