What happened
On 19 January 2005, a Quad City Challenger II, registration G-MYDS, was performing a private flight near Southend Airport, Essex. While climbing through approximately 300 feet after takeoff, the pilot noticed a sudden increase in engine speed. This indicated that the belt drive connecting the engine to the propeller had failed.
Following the loss of propeller drive, the pilot notified the passenger and initiated an emergency landing. The pilot identified a suitable field and executed a soft field landing. However, during the landing roll, the aircraft struck a rut in the ground. This impact caused the nose landing gear to be pushed into the fuselage and resulted in the left main landing gear extension shearing. There were no injuries to the crew or passenger.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's propulsion system to determine why the drive failed. The inspection of the belt drive mechanism between the engine and the propeller revealed that the teeth had been torn away from the belt. The investigation established that the failure was linked to the mechanical state of the drive system.
Findings
- The propeller ceased to be driven by the engine due to the failure of the belt drive.
- The teeth of the belt had been stripped from the belt structure.
- The primary cause of the belt failure was incorrect belt tension.