ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 40857
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| Date: | Sunday 17 August 1997 |
| Time: | 13:00 LT |
| Type: |  Pitts S-1S |
| Owner/operator: | Todd A. Kraska |
| Registration: | N10HJ |
| MSN: | 001HJ |
| Total airframe hrs: | 494 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-D1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Van Nuys, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | , CA (KVNY) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed and requested a right-hand departure to the practice area. During the downwind departure he declared an emergency and witnesses observed the aircraft spiraling downward at a 45-degree angle into a residential street. Parts from the aircraft were found some distance from the accident site. The propeller along with the severed crankshaft flange were found still bolted together less part of one propeller blade. Metallurgical examination revealed that a blade had failed midspan due to fatigue. The propeller was being operated above the design rpm red line of 2,700. Additionally, the propeller was being subjected to gyroscopic aerobatic loads. An rpm restriction for the propeller mandated by an airworthiness directive was not placarded on the instrument panel per the AD. The engine was designed for a type certificated helicopter application and was approved for a 3,200 rpm red line.
Probable Cause: the operation of the propeller beyond the design rpm limitations and the resultant gyroscopic loads from aerobatics. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a required instrument panel rpm restriction for the propeller mandated by an airworthiness directive.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97FA291
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 13:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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