Wheeler VANS RV-6A N642DW

Summary

On 28 August 2011 at about 20:45 local time, a Wheeler VANS RV-6A registered N642DW, operated by Wheeler Dean S, was involved in an accident near Albany, Oregon, United States. 2 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

28 August 2011 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Albany, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Kaiser's Strip

Coordinates

44.6569, -123.0528

Aircraft

Wheeler VANS RV-6A

Registration

N642DW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wheeler Dean S

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albany → Albany

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA412

Nobody was injured.

The in-flight separation of a propeller blade due to fatigue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that a few minutes after takeoff, he heard a loud noise and felt a vibration when an aluminum propeller blade separated from the airplane. The pilot then made a forced landing on a grass field north of the departure airport. The MT-Propeller two-bladed propeller hub, separated blade, and fracture surfaces were examined. The examination revealed finely spaced striations consistent with high-cycle fatigue. The hub wall had fatigue cracks initiating from shallow oxidized pits. Evidence of rework or repair was found on the hub blade bore. The propeller logbook reported that the hub was repaired and inspected by a repair station and reinstalled by the pilot/owner 3 days before the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.