<< >> NASA ASRS Report 573131, January 2003

A vans rv-4 on climb out at 7000 ft shutdown the engine due to a loud bang and severe vibration caused by a failed propeller blade.

Attributes
ACN	573131
Time
Date	200301
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : srq.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	573131
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On tue/jan/03 at about xa:35 local I had departed ZZZ airport and was just about to level off for cruise. I heard a bang almost like a shot gun noise and then aircraft vibration. I shut down the engine and turned back to ZZZ airport. I landed the aircraft no problem. The propeller I was flying was a model F-200 automatic variable pitch propeller. This was my second flight with the propeller. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the propeller was a variable pitch propeller and had completed one flight and was on the second flight when it failed. The reporter said the propeller is made of wood encapsulated with a plastic finish and no non destructive internal inspection producers are in the manual. The reporter stated the cause of the failure was wood dry rot. The reporter stated this older propeller was installed to increase the aircraft speed and would be considered a rare installation. The reporter said the damage incurred was limited to the top engine mounts, engine crankshaft and lower cowling. The reporter stated no emergency was declared.

Related reports:

• Engine vibration and shutdown in-flight.
• Flight crew shutdown #2 engine in cruise account vibration.
• Engine noise and vibration prompt engine shutdown for air ca...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VANS RV-4 ON CLBOUT AT 7000 FT SHUTDOWN THE ENG DUE TO A LOUD BANG AND SEVERE VIBRATION CAUSED BY A FAILED PROPELLER BLADE.

Narrative: ON TUE/JAN/03 AT ABOUT XA:35 LOCAL I HAD DEPARTED ZZZ ARPT AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO LEVEL OFF FOR CRUISE. I HEARD A BANG ALMOST LIKE A SHOT GUN NOISE AND THEN ACFT VIBRATION. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND TURNED BACK TO ZZZ ARPT. I LANDED THE ACFT NO PROB. THE PROPELLER I WAS FLYING WAS A MODEL F-200 AUTOMATIC VARIABLE PITCH PROPELLER. THIS WAS MY SECOND FLT WITH THE PROPELLER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROPELLER WAS A VARIABLE PITCH PROPELLER AND HAD COMPLETED ONE FLT AND WAS ON THE SECOND FLT WHEN IT FAILED. THE RPTR SAID THE PROPELLER IS MADE OF WOOD ENCAPSULATED WITH A PLASTIC FINISH AND NO NON DESTRUCTIVE INTERNAL INSPECTION PRODUCERS ARE IN THE MANUAL. THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS WOOD DRY ROT. THE RPTR STATED THIS OLDER PROPELLER WAS INSTALLED TO INCREASE THE ACFT SPEED AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED A RARE INSTALLATION. THE RPTR SAID THE DAMAGE INCURRED WAS LIMITED TO THE TOP ENG MOUNTS, ENG CRANKSHAFT AND LOWER COWLING. THE RPTR STATED NO EMER WAS DECLARED.

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.