Piper PA-28-180 accident near Millsap, Texas, August 7, 2011
On August 7, 2011 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7689W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Millsap, Texas (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A sudden loss of engine thrust due to the separation of a propeller blade in cruise flight due to high cycle fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2011 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- Millsap, Texas · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7689W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1681
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just leveled off to cruise flight when the airplane jerked and began to vibrate violently. The pilot secured the engine and made a forced landing on a road. A postaccident examination revealed that an 18-inch section of one of the propeller blades had separated. Metallurgical examination of the remaining blade section revealed striations on the fracture surface consistent with high-cycle fatigue. At least three crack arrest marks were observed, which was consistent with the stopping and starting of the cyclic stresses. The propeller had accumulated 165.73 hours since being overhauled in 2004. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed about 10 months before the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 69-09-03 R3 in 1996 to prevent propeller blade tip fatigue failure. The directive required that pilots avoid continuous operation between 2150 and 2350 rpm. The failure mode of the blade was consistent with it operating in the restricted rpm range. Due to the multiple arrest marks found in the examination, the fatigue crack had propagated over multiple flight cycles. It could not be determined when the fatigue crack was initiated.
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
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller blade section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,280 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,280 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,825 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWL Mineral Wells TX at 7:15 pm
- Destination: GPM Grand Prairie TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from MWL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.