WPR12LA143

The commercial pilot/owner of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, the day before the accident flight, the airplane experienced a vibration during flight. After landing, he attempted to determine the cause of the vibration without success. The next day, he conducted the accident flight to attempt to duplicate the vibration. Shortly after takeoff, one of the propeller blades separated. The pilot subsequently conducted a forced landing. The engine mounts were substantially damaged due to the unbalanced condition at the hub caused by the separated blade. The separated propeller blade was recovered, and postaccident examination of the propeller blade revealed that it had failed at the hub due to extensive fatigue cracking.

On March 22, 2012, about 1045 mountain daylight time, an experimental Reich Glastar, N617G, made a forced landing following a separation of a propeller blade during takeoff at Caldwell Industrial Airport (EUL), Caldwell, Idaho. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed Caldwell about 1040. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that during a flight on March 21, 2012, he encountered a vibration, which he thought was in the engine area. After landing he attempted to locate the source of the vibration but was unsuccessful. The next day the pilot decided to try and duplicate the vibration in flight. During takeoff, when he was about 200 feet, one blade of the composite constant speed propeller separated at the hub. After the forced landing the pilot observed that the unbalanced condition caused three of the four engine mounts to fail. The installed propeller was a Vesta VT-2, with 125 hours total time since new. The separated propeller was recovered, and the blade shank was removed from the hub and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation. The materials laboratory specialist reported that the Vesta VT-2 propeller blade failed due to extensive fatigue cracking. The complete factual report is included in the accident docket.