What happened
On 15 February 2002, a Societe Wassmer Jodel D120A, registration G-BJOE, departed from the paved runway at East Fortune Airfield for a private flight. During the initial climb, while the aircraft was approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield at an altitude of 2,700 feet, the engine began to vibrate intensely and suffered a loss of power.
In response to the instability, the pilot elected to return to the airfield. Although the pilot performed engine checks, the underlying cause of the vibration remained unidentified, and the engine continued to operate at a diminished power level. After informing the passenger of the situation, the pilot issued a Mayday call on the Edinburgh Approach frequency. The aircraft returned to East Fortune and landed on Runway 24 without further incident. There were no injuries to the crew or the passenger.
The investigation
Following the landing, a post-flight inspection of the aircraft was conducted. This examination revealed that the propeller spinner had become detached during the flight. The detached spinner had made contact with the wooden propeller, resulting in significant damage to both blades. While the damage to the propeller was substantial, the spinner itself was not recovered from the site. The investigation sought to determine why the component had separated from the propeller assembly, but the owner was unable to establish the cause of the detachment.
Findings
- The engine experienced severe vibration and reduced power due to the detachment of the propeller spinner.
- The impact of the detached spinner caused major damage to the wooden propeller blades.
- The emergency response from Edinburgh Approach and local authorities was handled effectively.