Piper PA-28-180 accident near Lebanon, Virginia, October 30, 1995
On October 30, 1995 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N477SP, was destroyed in an accident near Lebanon, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the propeller blade due to fatigue cracking originating from corrosion damage. A related factor was the soft terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1995 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lebanon, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N477SP · registry record · serial 28-1210
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane was in cruise flight at 5,500 feet when it began to vibrate severely. He stated that the subsequent oscillations in the pitch and yaw axis were so severe that he shut off the engine. The pilot made a forced landing in a soft field. During the landing roll, the nose gear and left main landing gear separated. Postaccident examination revealed that the outboard portion of a propeller blade had separated in flight. Metallurgical examination of the remaining propeller blade revealed a fracture with features indicative of fatigue cracking. The fatigue cracking features extended through about 80% of the cross section of the blade. The origin area of the fatigue cracking showed presence of corrosion damage. The airplane was in storage about 22 years. AD69-09-03 required all 76EM series propellers to be modified and a 'K' stamped after the serial number. The 'K' modification thinned and retuned the entire blade for improved vibratory characteristics. This modification lowered the stresses in the minimum power operating range. The AD also required that the tachometer be placarded to avoid continuous operation between 2150-2350 RPM. The propeller showed no 'K' stamp afer the serial number, and the pilot stated that he knew of no placard that existed in the airplane.
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: 215 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 183 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,390 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1995; 108 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VJI Abingdon VA at 11:20 pm
- Destination: 6V3 Richlands VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:40 pm from MKJ, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.