Prop failure....... Have you had one??

[Terryscustom]

How many of you have had an in-flight prop failure and were there any circumstances that led up to it?? I fly 99.5% carbon props and had a perfectly balanced wood prop explode this weekend while doing it high speed slow roll. Prop was balanced on blades, and hub. I spent more time than usual balancing it because I don't normally run wood. Spinner was also a lightweight fiberglass that was not even close to touching the prop with aluminum back plate and was also balanced.

How many of you have had this happen? Made quick work of the cowl and the canopy instantly exploded in a huge bang / flutter sound. It was pretty spectacular honestly. Landed with a greaser landing but fuse is pretty muffed up. Can tunnel is broken in several places, fuse sides sparated from F-1, several formers broken, fuse sides broken at the start of turtle deck and some signs of damage at the tail. Most crazy thing I have ever had happen to me since I started flying.

 

[49dimes]

Never had a prop actually destruct from operating loads. Will be interesting to hear. Like you, I run mainly carbon.

I am wondering if it could be wood quality/durability. Like a grain pattern that is erratic or just a bad piece of wood that slipped through the cracks and got made in to a model prop. Got a pic of what's left? From what I know about sonic force and harmonic vibration maybe there was a frequency being generated by the operation that happened to coincide with the frequency of resonance of the wood material in the prop. Like when a singer shatters glass by proper amplitude, harmonic and pitch.

 

[Pistolera]

Wow! Never had one detonate like that but have had 2 failures in Biela carbon props on my DA150/RE3 Raven. First one cracked in the webbing between two blades. I found it when I was checking prop bolt torque. The second one let go in flight, but I shut her down and landed fine. No damage to the plane.

Beila did replace both, although I haven't used them yet. I do like how they perform though.

 

[Ohio AV8TOR]

I saw a wood prop explode on a DA170 several years back. He landed the plane okay but after letting go I guess the out of balance caused every prop bolt to shear. Never found the spinner or prop to examine. All of the bolts were sheared right flush with the hub.

 

[nebwake]

I think riley had a bunch of sheared bolts on a carbon prop but im pretty sure the prop held on. Ive never seen a wood prop explode in the air. Pretty scary and one more reason to never stand or let anyone stand in the prop arc on the ground!

 

[Ohio AV8TOR]

Pretty scary and one more reason to never stand or let anyone stand in the prop arc on the ground!

For sure and remember to always point that out when you see it.

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

I have seen prop bolts let go on the ground, it the air even carbon delams.

Never seen a woody prop just let go, without some type of "assistance".

That sucks Terry.

 

[crashflow]

terry you badazz ! You were "tearing it up"! Just don't stand right beside that one while hovering.

 

[Terryscustom]

I saw a wood prop explode on a DA170 several years back. He landed the plane okay but after letting go I guess the out of balance caused every prop bolt to shear. Never found the spinner or prop to examine. All of the bolts were sheared right flush with the hub.

That is classic loose bolts destruction, but could have been prop I suppose. I've seen that a couple times. My bolts were all in place yet.

 

[dhal22]

That is classic loose bolts destruction, but could have been prop I suppose. I've seen that a couple times. My bolts were all in place yet.

I suspect the single wood prop failure I had was due to loose bolts.