Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vaughn, Washington 98394
Sunday, September 26, 1999 14:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise at 2,000 feet altitude and 2,000 RPM there was a sudden loud noise and vibration. The pilot reduced power and executed an emergency landing. Post-landing examination of the aircraft revealed that approximately six inches of one propeller blade had separated from the propeller. The Sensenich Corporation, fixed pitch, aluminum propeller, model 76EM8S5-0-60, was submitted to the Safety Board's Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC, for further metallurgical examination. The examination revealed a flat, chordwise fracture area that contained crack arrest positions and radial marks typical of fatigue cracking. Microscopy revealed that the origin area was located within a notch at the leading edge at the flat side of the blade. The depth of the notch was about 0.008 inch. The leading edge of the blade contained sanding marks, typical of a blend repair, in the vicinity of the notch. The sanding marks did not extend into the deepest part of the notch, directly adjacent to the fracture surface at the origin area. FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1A, Section 3 'Repair of Metal propellers,' paragraph 585(a) discusses procedures applied to the repair of aluminum propellers. Specifically, this reference addresses rounding out of nicks, scars, cuts, etc. by advising '...exercise care to remove the deepest point of the injury.' The total time on the propeller was unavailable and the party who executed the propeller dressing procedure was not known.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The separation of a propeller blade tip due to fatigue, and the improper maintenance procedure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/26/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | VAUGHN |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98394 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 345 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PWT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 439 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1041 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 29 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 802 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9395J |
| NTSB Number | SEA99LA174 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-3499 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| 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 | Oct 8 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 102 |
| Airframe Hours | 4483 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ENGLUND, LANCE, D. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14313 NE 90TH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | VANCOUVER |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98682 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | PWT |
| Departure City | BREMERTON |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | -- |