- Date
- August 8, 1992, 22:15 local (Aug 9, 1992, 05:15 UTC)
- Place
- Parker, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1547PAir Tractor AT-401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920808029859A
- Case key
- 27721
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
The inadequate overhaul of the propeller blade by the overhaul facility. Contributing to this accident was the rough and uneven terrain.
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 pilot was conducting an aerial application swath run when 10 inches of a propeller blade separated. The pilot executed an emergency landing. On touchdown, the aircraft nosed over after colliding with the rough/uneven terrain. A metallurgical examination of propeller blade disclosed the presence of fatigue across 60% of the fractured surface. The origin of the fatigue centered on a notch of a previously reworked area. The propeller blade had accured 273 flight hours since it was overhauled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1547P
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0861
- Airframe hours
- 273
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Morris, Gary & Connie, doing business as Poston Sprayers, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Morris, Gary & Connie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 30, 1992 · 23 hours before
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.