ERA19LA228

The pilot reported that about 2 hours into a cross-country flight, he experienced an airplane vibration and determined a section of the propeller departed the airplane. He shut the engine down due to severe vibration. He intended to land at the nearest airport but realized the airplane would not reach the runway and set up for a landing on a grass field. The airplane landed hard and the landing gear split, buckling the lower longerons. The airplane then slid into the airport perimeter fence. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing was damaged, and the fuselage frame was bent. The propeller spinner was not located at the accident site and one propeller blade was missing the blade tip. The wood propeller was sent to the propeller manufacturer for further investigation. Examination determined the portion of the missing blade separated as a result of a strike to the propeller by an object. The examination could not definitively identify the spinner as the object that struck the blade; however , it is likely the missing spinner departed the airplane inflight and impacted the propeller blade. The reason the spinner departed the airplane could not be determined based on available evidence.

On July 16, 2019, about 1300 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Pietenpol Big Piet airplane, N973BP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Jackson County Airport (1A7), Gainesboro, Tennessee. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to the pilot, he was about 2 hours into the flight when the airplane experienced a vibration. He intended to land at the nearest airport and investigate the problem; however, as soon as he turned toward 1A7, a section of the propeller departed the airplane. The engine started to "tear itself loose," so he shut the engine off. The pilot then attained best glide speed for 1A7, but the headwind increased, and the airplane landed hard short of the runway, splitting the landing gear split and buckling the lower longerons. The airplane then slid into the airport perimeter fence. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the leading edge of the left wing was damaged, and the fuselage frame was bent severely enough to restrict movement of the fuel shutoff linkage. The aluminum propeller spinner was not located at the accident site. The airplane was equipped with a Culver two-bladed wood propeller. The unpainted spinner cap was attached to the propeller through a bracket attached to the propeller bolt holes. A single screw held the spinner cap. The propeller was sent to the propeller manufacturer for further investigation. The investigation revealed a section of the propeller was missing at the tip with fibers bent backward and a crack radiating from the location of the missing piece toward the hub, consistent with contact from an unidentified object.