On May 13, 1991, an Air Tractor AT-301 (registration N8563S) operated by Flying Y Aero, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Tutwiler, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A piece of one of the propeller blades separated due to fatigue during a turn to reverse direction. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A propeller blade separated due to fatigue during a turn, forcing the pilot to land in a field where the aircraft nosed over. Maintenance records showed a recent repair to a nick on one of the blades.
What happened
During a maneuver to reverse direction, a piece of one of the propeller blades separated from the assembly due to fatigue. The separation forced the pilot to execute an emergency landing in a field. Upon touchdown, the aircraft nosed over.
The investigation
A review of the aircraft logbook revealed that five days prior to the accident, a nick on one of the propeller blades had been repaired. However, the maintenance entry did not specify which blade received the repair. The operator noted that the facility utilizes a gravel runway.
Findings
The separation of the propeller blade was attributed to fatigue. The lack of specificity in the maintenance log regarding which blade was repaired may have contributed to the oversight of the underlying structural issue.
Probable cause
A piece of one of the propeller blades separated due to fatigue during a turn to reverse direction.