Larry J Cook LANCAIR 320 N52LC

Summary

On 20 July 2007 at about 16:20 local time, a Larry J Cook LANCAIR 320 registered N52LC was involved in an accident near Destin, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2007 at 16:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Destin, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Destin-Fort Walton Beach (DTS)

Coordinates

30.4000, -86.4714

Aircraft

Larry J Cook LANCAIR 320

Registration

N52LC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pensacola → Panama City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07LA123

Nobody was injured.

The separation of a portion of a propeller blade due to fatigue cracking which initiated in an area of corrosion that was not detected during propeller overhaul 10 flight hours before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Ten flight hours prior to the accident, the airplane's propeller was overhauled During cruise flight, a section of a blade separated. The pilot shut down the engine and attempted a forced landing at a nearby airport. While maneuvering to avoid a house on final approach the airplane stalled and landed hard just short of the runway. Metallurgical examination of the fractured blade surface revealed approximately 60% of the fractured surface was consistent with fatigue, which propagation from an area of corrosion on the blade’s cambered surface. Additionally, the propeller blades had been modified by shortening the blades. Hardware not approved by the propeller manufacturer was used for engine installation, and due to vibration concerns, the blade design was not approved by the propeller manufacturer for use on the accident airplane’s model engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.