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July 1, 2000 · Diamond Aircraft Industries 20C-1 · N991CT

Spanish Fork, UT

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Incident
Date
July 1, 2000
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Spanish Fork, UT
Aircraft
Diamond Aircraft Industries 20C-1
Tail Number
N991CT
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Minor
NTSB Number
DEN00IA133

The pilot had just departed on a cross-country flight, and had climbed to 9,500 feet. He said that he began to feel a 'heavy vibration' in the aircraft, and immediately turned towards the closest runway. Soon thereafter the propeller separated from the airplane, and the pilot performed a forced landing without further incident. Postincident examination of the maintenance records indicated that the attachment bolts for the wooden propeller were last torqued 110 hours before the incident. The manufacturer of the propeller recommends that their wooden propellers be torque checked every 50 hours of flight. Examination revealed that the propeller attachment bolts showed signs of fatigue failure. There was also fretting damage on the propeller extension flange and bushing shanks. The above-mentioned signatures are suggestive of the studs being insufficiently torqued by the mechanic during assembly or periodic maintenance procedures not being followed, and subsequently becoming loose during propeller operation.

NTSB Probable Cause

The company maintenance personnel's inadequate torquing procedures of the propeller attachment bolts which resulted in the fatigue failure of the propeller attachment bolts and the in-flight separation of the propeller.

Full Narrative

On July 1, 2000, at 1300 mountain daylight time, a Diamond Aircraft Industries 20C-1, N991CT, sustained minor damage when the propeller separated from the airplane near Spanish Fork, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated by Smith and Barlow Enterprises, Inc., Provo, Utah, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated from Provo, Utah, approximately 15 minutes before the incident. No flight plan had been filed. The pilot said that he had just departed on a cross-country flight, and had climbed to 9,500 feet. He said that he began to feel a "heavy vibration" in the aircraft, and immediately turned the airplane back towards the closest runway at Spanish Fork Airport. Soon thereafter the propeller separated from the airplane. The pilot performed a forced landing to runway 30 without further incident. The wooden propeller was not recovered. The propeller extension assembly was removed from the engine and forwarded to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) Material's Laboratory. Examination revealed that all six propeller attachment bolts showed signs of fatigue failure. There was also fretting damage on the propeller extension flange and bushing shanks. Postincident examination of the maintenance records indicated that the attachment bolts for the propeller were last torqued on April 26, 2000, 110 hours before the incident. Sensenich Propeller Manufacturing Co., Inc., the manufacturer of the propeller, recommends that their wooden propellers be torque checked every 50 hours of flight.

Flight

Event TypeIncident
Event Time13:00 MDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftDiamond Aircraft Industries 20C-1
Tail NumberN991CT
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageMinor
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · IO-240 · Reciprocating · 125
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Unknown

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind200° @ 10 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point39 C
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data