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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Aircraft equipment problem -- bi-plane pilot loses part of 1 propeller blade and then makes an emergency landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 315027 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199508 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hzl airport : pn07 |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 1254 flight time type : 430 |
| ASRS Report | 315027 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During cruise wbound at 3500 ft MSL I heard a loud bang. The aircraft started to violently vibrate. I pulled back the throttle then turned off the switch to ground the magnetos stopping the engine. The vibration continued so I pulled the nose up until the propeller stopped turning. The vibration stopped. I then made a precautionary landing in a hay field. Upon inspection I found that the air intake scoop bracket had broken, hit the propeller, and that the propeller had lost about 11 1/2 inches off one end. The landing caused no damage to the aircraft, the field or any person. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot was flying a waco upf-7 when the air intake scoop support rod on the right side of the scoop broke and struck the propeller. The metal propeller then pulled the remainder of the scoop forward separating it from the aircraft and breaking 11 1/2 inches from one of the propeller blades. The resulting vibration caused more damage to the engine and its mounts. The reporter said that he was unable to see his instruments until he could get the propeller stopped. The airframe also needs to be inspected and his hull insurance company has agreed to an extensive repair program.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB -- BI-PLANE PLT LOSES PART OF 1 PROP BLADE AND THEN MAKES AN EMER LNDG.
Narrative: DURING CRUISE WBOUND AT 3500 FT MSL I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE ACFT STARTED TO VIOLENTLY VIBRATE. I PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE THEN TURNED OFF THE SWITCH TO GND THE MAGNETOS STOPPING THE ENG. THE VIBRATION CONTINUED SO I PULLED THE NOSE UP UNTIL THE PROP STOPPED TURNING. THE VIBRATION STOPPED. I THEN MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A HAY FIELD. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE AIR INTAKE SCOOP BRACKET HAD BROKEN, HIT THE PROP, AND THAT THE PROP HAD LOST ABOUT 11 1/2 INCHES OFF ONE END. THE LNDG CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, THE FIELD OR ANY PERSON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT WAS FLYING A WACO UPF-7 WHEN THE AIR INTAKE SCOOP SUPPORT ROD ON THE R SIDE OF THE SCOOP BROKE AND STRUCK THE PROP. THE METAL PROP THEN PULLED THE REMAINDER OF THE SCOOP FORWARD SEPARATING IT FROM THE ACFT AND BREAKING 11 1/2 INCHES FROM ONE OF THE PROP BLADES. THE RESULTING VIBRATION CAUSED MORE DAMAGE TO THE ENG AND ITS MOUNTS. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE HIS INSTS UNTIL HE COULD GET THE PROP STOPPED. THE AIRFRAME ALSO NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED AND HIS HULL INSURANCE COMPANY HAS AGREED TO AN EXTENSIVE REPAIR PROGRAM.
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.