Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA34 near Hollywood, FL — 2016-08-19

Final reportERA16LA295
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Date
2016-08-19
Location
Hollywood, FL, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA34
Registration
N16499
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

Maintenance personnel’s failure to comply with an airworthiness directive for the propeller, which resulted in a propeller hub failure due to fatigue.

NTSB narrative

During an instructional flight in a multiengine airplane, the pilot receiving instruction had just completed a right turn at an altitude of 3,300 ft mean sea level when the flight instructor heard a loud noise and saw something separate from the right engine. The flight instructor took the controls but was unable to maintain altitude with one engine operating and performed a forced landing into a swamp. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right engine had separated from its mounts, one propeller blade was missing, and the right propeller hub was fractured. Metallurgical examination of the propeller hub revealed a fatigue fracture along a grease-fitting hole. An airworthiness directive had been issued about 8 years before the accident that required initial (within 50 flight hours) and repetitive (every 100 flight hours) eddy current inspection of the area around the lubrication holes of the propeller hub blade sockets. The right propeller had been overhauled about 14 months before the accident and had accrued about 440 hours at the time of the accident. The airplane's most recent 100-hour inspection (which included inspection of both propellers) occurred about 3 months before the accident. Review of maintenance records did not reveal any documentation that the airworthiness directive was complied with on the overhauled right propeller hub.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Failure to comply with airworthiness directive inspections on the propeller hub.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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