What happened
On the night of November 17, Peninsular Air Transport Common Carriage Flight 17K was prepared for a scheduled departure from Boeing Field to Newark, New Jersey. The flight experienced delays due to heavy snowfall earlier in the evening, which required snow removal from the aircraft and delayed passenger boarding. After receiving IFR clearance and taxiing to runway 13, the crew initiated takeoff at 2358.
As the aircraft climbed to an altitude of approximately 300-400 feet, the crew attempted to reduce power from takeoff settings to normal rated power and retracted a portion of the flaps. During this transition, the No. 4 engine propeller surged, causing the RPM to climb to 2,800. The crew attempted to feather the propeller to control the engine, but the mechanism failed to respond. Subsequent attempts to manage the engine by adjusting power on the remaining three engines were unsuccessful, as the No. 4 engine RPM increased further to over 3,000.
The aircraft began a descent and veered to the right. In an attempt to maintain flight, the pilot reduced airspeed near stall speeds before applying full power to all four engines. Despite these efforts, the plane continued to descend, striking a telephone pole and several trees before impact in a nose-high attitude. The accident resulted in 28 fatalities, including one crew member and 27 passengers.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the primary cause was excessive drag caused by improperly indexed propeller blades and an inability to feather the engine. Several maintenance failures were identified:
- A propeller dome retaining nut had not been tightened sufficiently, leading to oil leaks around the seal.
- This loss of oil prevented the effective reduction of RPM or the feathering of the No. 4 propeller.
- Improperly indexed propeller blades significantly increased drag, making sustained flight impossible.
- Maintenance performed by Seattle Aircraft Repair, Inc. was characterized by poor procedures, omissions, and a lack of proper inspections, rendering the aircraft unairworthy.