A C340 ATX PLT FLEW HIS ACFT WITH A BENT PROP BLADE; NO ONE KNOWS HOW OR WHEN THE BLADE GOT BENT.

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ON NOV TUE 1996; I DID A CHARTER FLT FROM MYF TO EMT; THEN BACK TO MYF. BEFORE THE FIRST FLT; I DID A NORMAL PREFLT AT NIGHT. ON THIS PREFLT; I MOST LIKELY MISSED FEELING ALL THE PROPS FOR NICKS OR DENTS. BUT I CAN'T BE SURE! AFTER RETURNING TO MYF; I WAS ASKED TO FLY TO PSP TO PICK UP A PAX. I PUT FUEL IN THE ACFT; CHKED THE FUEL; OIL AND DOOR; BUT NOT THE PROPS. I FLEW TO PSP AND WAITED FOR MY PAX. HE NEVER SHOWED; SO I RETURNED TO MYF. THE NEXT DAY; IT WENT OUT ON ANOTHER FLT WITH ANOTHER PLT. ON HIS PREFLT; HE DIDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE PROPS. AT HIS DES; SOMEONE TOLD HIM THAT ONE OF THE PROP BLADES ON THE R ENG WAS BENT OUTWARD. HE CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I HAD HIT ANYTHING THE NIGHT BEFORE ON MY FLT AND I SAID NO! HE CALLED THE FAA AS THEY HAD USED THE AIRPLANE NOV TUE 1996 ALSO. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE A BENT PROP. HE CALLED HIS MAINT PERSONNEL AND PROP MEN. THEY SAID TO BRING THE ACFT HOME. NOW WE HAVE A BENT PROP THAT NO ONE KNOWS HOW IT WAS BENT. I NOTICED NO UNUSUAL FLT OR ENG CHARACTERISTIC ON MY FLT. THE PLT ON THE NEXT DAY ALSO DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. SO I MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE A THOROUGH PREFLT ON THE ACFT ON THE SECOND AND THIRD LEG OF MY FLT BECAUSE EVERYTHING LOOKED AND FELT NORMAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A C340. THE FAA HAS TAKEN NO ACTION AGAINST HIM; BUT THE LAST PLT THAT FLEW THE ACFT WAS CITED FOR FLYING AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT. THIS PLT ASKED HIS MECH AND THE PROP MANUFACTURER IF IT WAS SAFE TO FLY THE ACFT. THEY BOTH RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; BUT NO ONE ADVISED GETTING A FERRY PERMIT. THE RPTR ADVISED THE OTHER PLT TO SEND IN AN ASRS RPT; AND HE NOW REGRETS THAT HE DID NOT. THE MYSTERY CONTINUES; NO ONE KNOWS HOW THE PROP BLADE GOT BENT.