ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 353042
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| Date: | Saturday 10 July 1999 |
| Time: | 12:30 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-24-180 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N6597P |
| MSN: | 24-1719 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4799 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | San Luis Obispo, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Pacoima, CA (KWHP) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The instructor said that the power came up smoothly on the takeoff roll, but that the engine suddenly quit at 600 feet agl. The flight instructor took the controls, lined up on a major interstate highway, and touched down in the northbound lanes. The right wing struck a bush, which spun the airplane off the highway and down the embankment next to the highway. An engine teardown disclosed that the crankshaft idler gear (left magneto) was detached from the mounting pad at the back of the crankcase. The crankshaft gear was not secured to the crankshaft, and the locating dowel pin was fractured and separated. Further examination of the idler gear shaft and attaching parts revealed severe wear signatures on the attachment bolts and locking plate, and the bolts displayed signatures consistent with prolonged contact with the rotating idler gear. The bore at the idler gear shaft-mounting pad was also severely worn and elongated. The crankshaft counterbore and corresponding gear revealed fretting and corrosion signatures at the mating surfaces, and the dowel pin was separated in line with the parting surfaces of the gear and counterbore. The dowel pin fracture surface displayed fatigue. A propeller overhaul was completed 20 hours prior to the accident. The Hartzell propeller manual prohibits balance weights in excess of 0.9 ounces (25.51 grams) in any one location on the spinner. Weights totaling 36 grams were found on one location on the airplane spinner.
Probable Cause: The failure/separation of the crankshaft idler gear and the fatigue failure and subsequent separation of the crankshaft dowel pin due to the improper static and dynamic balance of the propeller by maintenance personnel.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX99LA248
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Mar-2024 09:43 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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