Cessna A185 N92DC

Summary

On 18 August 2017 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna A185 registered N92DC was involved in an accident near Aniak, Alaska, United States. 4 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

18 August 2017 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Aniak, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Aniak (ANI)

Coordinates

61.5817, -159.5433

Aircraft

Cessna A185

Registration

N92DC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aniak → Aniak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC17LA052

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to detect a crack in the propeller blade, which led to the separation of a section of a propeller blade due to fatigue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/operator was taxiing the airplane for takeoff. While the airplane was moving about 15 mph and about 2,700 rpm, a blade from the metal two-blade propeller separated. After the separation, the pilot maintained control of the airplane and shut down the airplane. The engine mount sustained substantial damage from excessive vibrations caused by the propeller blade separation. An examination of the fractured propeller blade revealed that it had failed due to fatigue cracking that had initiated from a nick in the leading edge. Measurement of the nick revealed it was within tolerance for a field repair although a field repair had not been performed. The airplane was frequently used at unpaved runways and airstrips in remote locations. It is likely a nick was sustained on the propeller during the backcountry operations; however, it could not be determined when that nick occurred or when the fatigue crack was initiated. The airplane manufacturer owner's manual indicates that the propeller should be checked for nicks during the preflight inspection. It is likely the pilot/operator did not adequately inspect the propeller during the preflight inspection. Had an adequate inspection been completed, the nick likely would have been identified and could have been field repaired.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.