Pilot Debrief

Piper PA-44-180 near Battle Creek, MI — 2008-06-08

Final reportCHI08LA160
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Date
2008-06-08
Location
Battle Creek, MI, USA
Airport
BTL
Aircraft
Piper PA-44-180
Registration
N159WM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The in-flight separation of the tip of a propeller blade due to metal fatigue that resulted from an inadequate inspection and repair.

NTSB narrative

The twin-engine airplane sustained substantial damage due to a separated propeller blade tip impacting the airplane's nose during cruise. The tip separation exhibited signs of fatigue failure. Witness marks consistent with tool file marks made during a leading edge repair were found at the area of the origin of fatigue. According to maintenance information published by the propeller manufacturer, a 10x magnifying glass should be used to examine repairs to ensure damage, file marks, and any course surface finish are removed prior to returning the propeller back to service.. The airplane accumulated a total time of 1,997 hours.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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