Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Crystal River, Florida 32629
Wednesday, November 25, 1992 15:00 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING CRUISE FLT, APRX 17 INCHES OF ONE PROP BLADE SEPARATED. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE WATER. EXAM OF THE PROP REVEALED THAT THE FWD HUB WHICH CONTACTS THE FWD MOUNTING FLANGE WAS BURNED. A PROP SPINNER WAS NOT INSTALLED. IT HAD BEEN REMOVED BEFORE THE PLT PURCHASED THE ACFT APRX 9 MONTHS EARLIER. THE PROP SPINNER BACKING PLATE WHICH IS .125 INCH THICK ATTACHES BETWEEN THE FWD MOUNTING FLANGE AND THE FWD HUB OF THE PROP. THE CORRECT PROCEDURE TO DETERMINE IF THE ATTACH BOLTS ARE THE CORRECT LENGTH IS TO INSTALL THEM THROUGH THE AFT MOUNTING FLANGE & THE PROPELLER BACKING PLATE (IF INSTALLED), THEN SCREW THEM INTO THE FWD MOUNTING FLANGE UNTIL THE BOLTS BOTTOM OUT. THE WIDTH BETWEEN THE TWO FLANGES (IF A PROP SPINNER IS NOT INSTALLED) SHOULD BE MEASURED, THEN THE WIDTH OF THE PROP HUB SHOULD BE MEASURED. THE WIDTH OF THE PROP HUB SHOULD BE GREATER THAN THE WIDTH BETWEEN THE FLANGES TO ALLOW FOR COMPRESSION OF THE HUB WHEN THE BOLTS ARE PROPERLY TORQUED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF AN UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPELLER WAS PROPERLY SECURED AFTER REMOVAL OF THE PROPELLER SPINNER, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FORCED LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/25/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1500
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City CRYSTAL RIVER
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32629
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1447 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 32
Weather Observation Facility ID GNV
Elevation of weather observation facility 125
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 745
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 25 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1515
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 48156
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N157JM
NTSB Number MIA93LA022
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MASON, JACK A.
Aircraft Model VELOCITY
Aircraft Series Identifier VELOCITY
Aircraft Serial Number DM099
Certified Max Gross Weight 2250
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 100
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BLACK, CHARLES K.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1016 DOLPHIN DR.
Aircraft Owner City CAPE CORAL
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33904
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BLACK, CHARLES K.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 1016 DOLPHIN DR.
Operator City CAPE CORAL
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33904
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LOU
Departure City LOUISVILLE
Departure State KY
Departure Country
Departure Time 939
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SRQ
Destination City SARASOTA
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --