Pilot Declared An Emergency, Landed Safely

There is sometimes almost a sense of complacency when everything about an airplane is working properly. But for the pilot of a Cessna 172 in Jackson, MS in January, that feeling was shattered when, according to the NTSB, a six-inch piece of the plane's propeller broke off, causing severe vibration in the aircraft. This incident fortunately comes to a very welcome conclusion; the pilot landed safely and walked away unharmed.

NTSB Identification: ERA12IA169
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Incident occurred Saturday, January 28, 2012 in Jackson, MS
Aircraft: CESSNA 172S, registration: N427CP
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On January 28, 2012, about 1705, central standard time, a Cessna 172S, N427CP, made an emergency landing at Jackson-Evers International Airport (JAN), Jackson, Mississippi. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured and the airplane was not damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Civil Air Patrol, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Hawkins Field Airport (HKS), Jackson, Mississippi, about 1645.

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The pilot stated that he was about 8 miles southwest of JAN, at an altitude of 7,000 feet mean sea level, when without warning, an extreme vibration developed. The cabin environment experienced heavy vibration. He reduced engine power and verified the airplane’s flight controls were still functioning. He declared an emergency with the air traffic controller that he was in contact with. He reduced to best glide airspeed and maneuvered the airplane for JAN. The vibration continued and he elected to shutdown the engine. The propeller was windmilling and the vibration continued. The pilot reduced airspeed to stop the propeller rotation, and immediately obtain best glide airspeed again once the propeller stopped. The pilot landed at JAN and the airplane was towed to the fixed base operator.

An inspection of the airplane revealed that a 6 inch section from one of the fixed pitched propeller blades had fractured and separated during flight. The propeller was retained by the National Transportation Safety Board and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C., for metallurgical examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov