On April 21, 1987, a Dornier DO-228-201 (registration N232RP) was involved in an aviation accident near Manchester, NH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fatigue cracking of the propeller blade, initiated from a linear area on the camber face in a defect-free portion, leading to blade failure. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Vibration experienced shortly after touchdown resulted from a propeller blade failure caused by fatigue cracking initiated from a linear area on the camber face. The blade separated 23 inches from the tip and deflected away from the runway and fuselage.
Incident Description
Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft experienced a vibration. This vibration was caused by the failure of a propeller blade. The blade had separated 23 inches from its tip and deflected off the runway away from the fuselage.
Investigation Findings
Examination revealed that the propeller blade failure resulted from fatigue cracking. The fatigue crack initiated from a linear area located in a defect-free portion of the camber face of the blade. The crack propagated through approximately 60 percent of the blade cross-section before final failure occurred. The separation of the blade at a point 23 inches from the tip led to the vibration experienced after touchdown.
Probable cause
Fatigue cracking of the propeller blade, initiated from a linear area on the camber face in a defect-free portion, leading to blade failure.
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