- Date
- September 15, 1989, 06:52 local (13:52 UTC)
- Place
- Ontario, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N70PEPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890915035099A
- Case key
- 26251
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
Failure of the right propeller hub due to metal fatigue which resulted in catastrophic separation of the propeller. Contributing to the accident was damage done to the aircraft airframe in flight by the separating propeller making the aircraft uncontrollable.
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
The propeller separated from the right engine during the initial climb. Examination of the wreckage revealed the propeller hub fracture resulted in one of the three propeller blades detaching from the hub. The rest of the propeller hub then separated striking the right front of the fuselage. Oil was spread across the aircraft nose and windsheild. The fuselage right side damage increased aerodynamic drag. Witnesses reported the engine cowling was torn. The aircraft entered a right turn and dive. It impacted the ground in a near inverted attitude. Metallurgical examination of the failed prop hub revealed metal fatigue emanating from the threaded hole for the grease fitting. The threads had been deformed by shot peening, resulting in increased stress concentrations at the threads.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70PE
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-805 2137
- Airframe hours
- 3,118
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ameriflight
- Registered owner
- Jack Wall Aircraft Sales Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 22, 1989 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- ONT · Ontario, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ONT · Ontario Int'L, runway 0R
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,916 total · 89 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 2 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.