Accident Beechcraft B95A Travel Air N9581Y,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35522
 
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Date:Tuesday 20 September 1994
Time:18:35 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE95 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft B95A Travel Air
Owner/operator:Hectic Air Inc.
Registration: N9581Y
MSN: TD523
Total airframe hrs:3815 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-360-B1A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Poplar Grove, IL -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Waterloo, IA (KATO)
Destination airport:Wheeling, IL (KPWK)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC AFTER EXPERIENCING WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS A LEFT ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONTROLLER GUIDED THE PILOT TO A NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT FOR A LANDING. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE ENTER DOWNWIND FOR THE SOUTHEAST RUNWAY. THEY SAID THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TURN FROM BASE LEG TO FINAL APPROACH. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SPIN AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE BLADE OF THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ASSEMBLY. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THE SEPARATION WAS INITIATED BY A FATIGUE FRACTURE NEXT TO THE BLADE'S INNER CLAMP. TWO OF THE CLAMP SCREWS HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE OVERLOAD. THE INNER CLAMP HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH SCREWS THAT THE PROPELLER MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE BULLETIN SAID HAD TO BE CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT TYPE.

Probable Cause: Aircraft control not maintained by the pilot when he began his turn from base leg to final approach. Factors associated with this accident were the fatigue failure of a propeller blade, improper maintenance overhaul of the propeller, and a material defect in the propeller blade clamp screws.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CHI94FA340
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CHI94FA340

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
06-Jun-2023 04:36 Ron Averes Updated [[Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]]
09-Apr-2024 19:09 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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