- Date
- September 20, 1990, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hertsboro, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8677GCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900920041749A
- Case key
- 8276
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fatigue failure of the propeller blade which resulted from improper overhaul procedures, and the absence of oil in the propeller hub which would allow the detection of blade cracks.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During aerial application one propeller blade separated from the acft. The acft collided with a tree during the forced landing roll. Exam of the propeller revealed that a fatigue fracture originated at a score mark in the hub threads of the blade. Deposits were found in the fracture enriched by carbon & oxygen. Graphite, the lubricant used in the propeller assembly, is carbon based. Testing showed that the blade's hardness & tensile strength was below mfg specifications. The safety board believes that the fracture was opened up during the last propeller overhaul, about 583 operating hours prior to the accident. Also, oil required in the hub to allow early detection of blade cracks was absent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8677G
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18801309T
- Airframe hours
- 2,701
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gardner Flying Services
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 16, 1990 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- EUF · Eaufala, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 12,150 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 12,025 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 50 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.