Cessna 172S N427CP

Summary

On 28 January 2012 at about 23:05 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N427CP, operated by Civil Air Patrol Inc, was involved in an incident near Jackson, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 January 2012 at 23:05

Classification

Incident

Location

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Jackson-Evers Int'l (JAN)

Coordinates

32.3111, -90.0758

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N427CP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Civil Air Patrol Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Bay St. Louis

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12IA169

Nobody was injured.

The separation of the propeller blade tip due to fatigue cracking that initiated at the blade’s leading edge.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he conducted a thorough preflight inspection of the airplane with no anomalies noted. Then, when the airplane was at an altitude of 7,000 feet mean sea level, an extreme vibration began. The pilot reduced engine power, verified the airplane’s flight controls were still operational, and declared an emergency with the air traffic controller that he was in contact with. As the vibration continued, the pilot elected to shut down the engine and, as the propeller was windmilling, the vibration continued. The pilot reduced the airspeed in order to stop the propeller rotation, then immediately obtained best glide airspeed once the propeller stopped. As soon as the propeller stopped windmilling, the vibration ceased. The pilot landed the airplane without incident and it was towed to the fixed base operator. A postincident engine teardown revealed that there were no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of a fracture surface on one of the propeller blades revealed that the blade tip failed as a result of fatigue cracking that initiated at the leading edge of the blade. The propeller blade was inspected about 72 operating hours before the incident, as part of the airplane’s 100-hour annual inspection, and no discrepancies were noted at that time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.