Propeller malfunction made engine run rough, declared an emergency and made precautionary landing on...

Attributes
ACN	281792
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	281792
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Cruising to airshow, severe vibration occurred. Cut power, glided to dry lake, uneventful landing. No damage to aircraft or pilot. Subsequent inspection revealed internal propeller failure. Called mayday on 121.5. Got immediate response from someone official. Can't recall who for sure, but think it was las vegas approach. Search and rescue arrived about 1 1/2 hours later -- pretty good I thought. I had water with me, and it is a good thing. Even 1 1/2 hours without water, especially had I been hurt, would have been very uncomfortable -- temperature was already 100 degree fahrenheit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback was made to determine what area the forced landing was made -- near the california border south of las vegas near highway 15. During the conversation I learned he was flying a zlin to an airshow at salt lake city. The propeller was a controllable pitch and the spider was defective. He learned from the experience that distances on the desert are deceptively farther than they appear. What looked like less than a mi was about 6 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROP MALFUNCTION MADE ENG RUN ROUGH, DECLARED AN EMER AND MADE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON DRY LAKE.

Narrative: CRUISING TO AIRSHOW, SEVERE VIBRATION OCCURRED. CUT PWR, GLIDED TO DRY LAKE, UNEVENTFUL LNDG. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR PLT. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED INTERNAL PROP FAILURE. CALLED MAYDAY ON 121.5. GOT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM SOMEONE OFFICIAL. CAN'T RECALL WHO FOR SURE, BUT THINK IT WAS LAS VEGAS APCH. SEARCH AND RESCUE ARRIVED ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS LATER -- PRETTY GOOD I THOUGHT. I HAD WATER WITH ME, AND IT IS A GOOD THING. EVEN 1 1/2 HRS WITHOUT WATER, ESPECIALLY HAD I BEEN HURT, WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE -- TEMP WAS ALREADY 100 DEG FAHRENHEIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK WAS MADE TO DETERMINE WHAT AREA THE FORCED LNDG WAS MADE -- NEAR THE CALIFORNIA BORDER S OF LAS VEGAS NEAR HWY 15. DURING THE CONVERSATION I LEARNED HE WAS FLYING A ZLIN TO AN AIRSHOW AT SALT LAKE CITY. THE PROP WAS A CONTROLLABLE PITCH AND THE SPIDER WAS DEFECTIVE. HE LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE THAT DISTANCES ON THE DESERT ARE DECEPTIVELY FARTHER THAN THEY APPEAR. WHAT LOOKED LIKE LESS THAN A MI WAS ABOUT 6 MI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Propeller malfunction made engine run rough, declared an emergency and made precautionary landing on dry lake.