Incident Overview
During the takeoff roll, a propeller blade tip failure occurred on the left engine. Approximately 9 inches of the blade tip separated from the propeller. The detached piece entered the top side of the fuselage, about 1 foot behind the pilot's head.
Damage to Controls
The blade tip severed the throttle, fuel mixture, carburetor heat, and propeller control cables to the left engine. Additionally, the aileron cable became jammed in the full left position, and the right engine control cables were damaged. Reportedly, the left engine went to idle power, and the pilot had to switch the magnetos off in order to abort the takeoff.
Metallurgical Examination
A metallurgical examination of the propeller blade revealed that the failure was due to fatigue. The fatigue crack originated at a dent in the leading edge of the propeller. The propeller was a Hartzell model HC-C1YK-2CUF, part number FC8477A-4.
Aircraft and Engine Details
The source did not specify the aircraft type, registration, engine count, date, operator, location, or other details such as occupants or injuries. No weather or ATC involvement was mentioned.