Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
North Central State Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02917
Sunday, July 15, 2012 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During departure, as the airplane reached an altitude of about 800 feet above ground level, the tip of one propeller blade separated. The flight instructor returned the airplane to the runway and landed without incident. The separated blade tip was not located; however, the remaining section of propeller blade was examined, and a fracture analysis was performed. The results of the analysis revealed fatigue crack propagation, followed by a final overstress fracture. The fatigue crack origin could not be accurately determined because the pertinent portion of blade’s leading edge suffered from postfracture damage, which likely occurred during removal or shipment. This postfracture damage also precluded determination of fatigue crack growthe timing or propagation. However, the fatigue and overstress fractures were consistent with other blade tip fractures that have occurred as a result of excessive vibrations within the propeller blade, typically as a result of a propeller ground strike.
The incident airplane’s propeller blades were manufactured 32 years before the incident, and the manufacturer imposed no life limits on the blades as long as they passed the required overhaul inspections. The incident propeller blades were overhauled twice in the 3 years before the incident. The first overhaul was performed as a result of a propeller strike, and the reason for the second overhaul was not documented. At the time of the incident, the blades had accumulated 852 hours since the most recent overhaul, which occurred 18 months before the incident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight separation of the propeller blade tip due to a fatigue fracture.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 7/15/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pawtucket |
| Event State | RHODE ISLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02917 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415514N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0712929W |
| Event Location Airport | North Central State Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SFZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 441 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SFZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 441 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31211 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New Egland ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2013 2:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N189TB |
| NTSB Number | ERA12IA459 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SOCATA |
| Aircraft Model | TB10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NO SERIES |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 891 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2535 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Jan 18 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5860 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PACCA CLUB INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5 BRIGGS ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02766 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | PACCA CLUB INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5 BRIGGS ST |
| Operator City | NORTON |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 02766 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SFZ |
| Departure City | Pawtucket |
| Departure State | RI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SFZ |
| Destination City | Pawtucket |
| Destination State | RI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2013 2:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 3211 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |