ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 34739
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| Date: | Friday 16 April 1982 |
| Time: | 15:50 |
| Type: |  Mooney M20J |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N3201P |
| MSN: | 24-0568 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 878 hours |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING IO-360-A3B6D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bird Island, MN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Thief River Fal, MN (TVF) |
| New Ulm, MN (ULM) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THIEF RIVERS, MN AND PROCEEDED EN ROUTE TO NEW ULM, MN. ONE WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED TO HIM LIKE AN EXPLOSION. HE AND OTHER WITNESSES IN THE VICINITY SAW THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING OUT OF CONTROL IN A ROLL OR A SPIN BEFORE IT CRASHED. ALSO, THEY SAW TWO OBJECTS FALLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, ONE SMALL AND ONE LARGE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A PROPELLER BLADE, AND THEN THE ENGINE, HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. THE PROPELLER BLADE WAS FOUND ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE LEFT OF THE FLIGHT PATH. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER BLADE HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE CRACKING. THE FATIGUE ORIGINATED FROM A 1/16 INCH DEEP FORGING FOLD IN THE SURFACE OF THE BLADE NEAR THE BUTT END. THE PROPELLER, A MCCAULEY MODEL 90DHB-16E, HAD 340 HRS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME. CAUSE:
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020917X01890
https://www.inforum.com/news/minnesota/memorial-erected-41-years-after-3-farmers-killed-in-plane-crash-in-southern-minnesota
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 11-Oct-2023 06:52 | gerard57 | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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