- Date
- September 27, 1991, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Utica, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CFFSSMitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- Case key
- 37023
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 cracking of the propeller hub.
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 climb, one of the four propeller blades on the number two engine separated from the propeller hub, damaging another propeller blade and the fuselage. Shortly thereafter, the engine shut down. The rotational unbalance was accompanied by extreme vibration and resulted in distortion and damage to the engine/cowl assembly and the wing. The upper portion of the engine cowl was deflected upward over the wing at an angle of about 30 deg, resulting in distortion of airflow, buffeting, and degradation of roll control. Due to excessive drag, maximum power was required on the number one engine in order to control the rate of descent and land successfully. A metallurgical examination disclosed evidence of fatigue cracking of the propeller hub arm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CFFSS
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 783SA
- Airframe hours
- 4,756
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-10511M, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Air 500 Limited
- Registered owner
- Air 500 Limited
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 15, 1991 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- SYR · Syracuse, NY
- Destination
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,633 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 7,205 as pilot in command · 242 in the last 90 days · 99 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F