Socata TB10 incident near Pawtucket, Rhode Island, July 15, 2012
On July 15, 2012 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Socata TB10, registered N189TB, was involved in an incident during initial climb near Pawtucket, Rhode Island (North Central State Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight separation of the propeller blade tip due to a fatigue fracture.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2012 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island · North Central State Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TB10 NO SERIES · all TB10s on the register
- Registration
- N189TB · registry record · serial 891
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During departure, as the airplane reached an altitude of about 800 feet above ground level, the tip of one propeller blade separated. The flight instructor returned the airplane to the runway and landed without incident. The separated blade tip was not located; however, the remaining section of propeller blade was examined, and a fracture analysis was performed. The results of the analysis revealed fatigue crack propagation, followed by a final overstress fracture. The fatigue crack origin could not be accurately determined because the pertinent portion of blade’s leading edge suffered from postfracture damage, which likely occurred during removal or shipment. This postfracture damage also precluded determination of fatigue crack growthe timing or propagation. However, the fatigue and overstress fractures were consistent with other blade tip fractures that have occurred as a result of excessive vibrations within the propeller blade, typically as a result of a propeller ground strike. The incident airplane’s propeller blades were manufactured 32 years before the incident, and the manufacturer imposed no life limits on the blades as long as they passed the required overhaul inspections. The incident propeller blades were overhauled twice in the 3 years before the incident. The first overhaul was performed as a result of a propeller strike, and the reason for the second overhaul was not documented. At the time of the incident, the blades had accumulated 852 hours since the most recent overhaul, which occurred 18 months before the incident.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during initial climb defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › (general) › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 360 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 5,300 as pilot in command; 4,700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,535 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pacca Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: SFZ Pawtucket RI
- Destination: SFZ Pawtucket RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,211 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from SFZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12IA459.