Piper PA-28-140 accident near Winchester, Tennessee, August 20, 2003
On August 20, 2003 at about 1:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8496R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winchester, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A maintenance personnel failure to follow propeller inspection procedures that resulted in a fatigue failure of a propeller blade and the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2003 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Winchester, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8496R · no longer on the register · serial 28-22408
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot while in cruise flight at 4500 feet mean sea level, the airplane began shaking violently. The pilot shut down the engine and saw part of one propeller blade missing. The pilot executed a forced landing into a field 12 miles east of Winchester, Tennessee. Examination of the downed airplane revealed that the propeller was fractured 17.5 inches from the hub center. There were fatigue features that originated from a nick on the flat face of the propeller. Paint from the flat face extended into the nick, indicating that the nick was present when the propeller was last painted. The shape of the nick boundary indicates that it was not blended.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,149.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 2003; 0.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3M3 Collegedale TN at 7:45 pm
- Destination: MRC Columbia TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from CHA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.