Cessna 182A accident near Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, July 5, 1991
On July 5, 1991 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4735D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (Aeropark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FATIGUE INDUCED PROPELLER BLADE FAILURE. A RELATED FACTOR WAS THE OPERATOR'S DELAYED PROPELLER OVERHAUL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1991 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin · Aeropark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4735D · no longer on the register · serial 34835
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER FOR THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL, ONE PROPELLER BLADE FAILED AND SEPARATED FROM THE HUB ASSEMBLY. THE ENGINE THEN BROKE FREE OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS. POST ACCIDENT METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER BLADE AND HUB ASSEMBLY REVEALED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FATIGUE. THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS THE FIRST THREAD OF THE THREADED HUB. THE PROPELLER HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON JULY 11, 1975, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 1227.57 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PROPELLER HAD NOT BEEN OVERHAULED. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS PROPELLER OVERHAUL AT INTERVALS NOT TO EXCEED 5 CALENDAR YEARS. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE EFFECTIVE 33 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT REQUIRES A PENETRANT INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER BLADE THREADED RETENTION AREA, AND A MODIFICATION OF THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY FOR EARLY DETECTION OF FAILURE.
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: 668 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 628 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 1991; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.