Piper PA-18-150 N7154Z

Summary

On 14 July 2012 at about 23:15 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N7154Z, operated by Tyler Renner, was involved in an accident near Kenai, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

14 July 2012 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Kenai, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.6525, -151.1278

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N7154Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Tyler Renner

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kenai → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12LA075

Nobody was injured.

The in-flight separation of a propeller tip due to an unauthorized and undocumented propeller repair.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, with one passenger aboard, departed in a float-equipped airplane from a remote lake. Shortly after takeoff, about 100 feet above the water, the airplane's engine began to vibrate violently. The pilot reduced engine power, turned the airplane left to avoid trees at the departure end of the lake, and attempted an emergency landing on the lake. The airplane continued to descend, and it subsequently collided with a shallow portion of the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. A postaccident examination revealed that a 6-inch portion of one propeller blade separated, resulting in a severe imbalance. An NTSB metallurgical examination of the fractured propeller blade revealed evidence of an unauthorized and undocumented repair of a nearly cylindrical hole, measuring about 0.3 inch in diameter. The examination also revealed areas where a white, opaque, plastic-like filler material, consistent with automotive body repair filler, was used to cover the hole before it was painted over, which subsequently made the unauthorized repair undetectable. The airplane owner reported that the propeller was already installed when he recently purchased the airplane. In addition, no logbook entry was found that would have indicated any damage, repairs, modifications, or a propeller assembly installation.        

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.