On October 9, 1982, a Cessna 177RG (registration N45696) operated by Harvey Monk was involved in an aviation accident near Montgomery, AL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff roll, a loud explosion and violent shaking occurred as a propeller blade separated. The engine failed and the aircraft swerved. Investigation revealed fatigue failure originating from a fused metal defect, though the specific cause was not determined.
Accident Overview
During the takeoff roll, after the pilot advanced the throttle approximately half of its travel, a loud explosion was heard and a violent shaking of the aircraft was felt. The engine subsequently quit, and the aircraft swerved to the right side of the runway.
Examination Findings
Post-crash examination revealed that one entire propeller blade had been thrown from the propeller hub. The fatigue failure originated at a location across the hub from the open area and propagated over approximately 80% of the surface before breaking away in overload. The fatigue originated from an area of a metal defect in the form of overheated melted material. A discolored irregular area existed along the outer radius of the origin area, and detailed examination of this area disclosed spherical pores and structure indicative of fused metal. The fatigue striations emanated from the base of the porous and fused zone. A specific cause of the defect was not identified.