Rovey Jason H RV-8 N391V

Summary

On 2 November 2013 at about 18:41 local time, a Rovey Jason H RV-8 registered N391V was involved in an accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, United States. One person was 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

2 November 2013 at 18:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Wickenburg, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Wickenburg Muni (E25)

Coordinates

33.9706, -112.6950

Aircraft

Rovey Jason H RV-8

Registration

N391V

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wickenburg → Wickenburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA046

Nobody was injured.

The fatigue failure of a propeller pitch change pin due to excessive shot peening of the pin’s surface during the manufacturing process.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, he felt a sustained vibration, which he thought was from the engine or propeller, and that the airplane then started to slow down. The pilot made a forced landing to the desert, and the airplane came to rest on its nose, which caused substantial damage to the airplane. A postaccident engine run and subsequent engine examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller examination revealed that one of the propeller pitch change pins had broken. The pin's fracture would have resulted in the sustained vibration and loss of speed reported by the pilot. A metallurgical examination of the pin revealed that it had failed due to a fatigue crack that had progressed through about 70 percent of the pin. The fatigue crack initiated at dimples that had a depth and width consistent with excessive shot peening, which likely occurred during the manufacturing process.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.