Piper PA-28-180 N9395J

Summary

On 26 September 1999 at about 21:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N9395J was involved in an accident near Vaughn, Washington, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 September 1999 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Vaughn, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.3094, -122.7709

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N9395J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bremerton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA99LA174

Nobody was injured.

The separation of a propeller blade tip due to fatigue, and the improper maintenance procedure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.