Beech A36 incident near Daytona Beach, Florida, May 10, 2004
On May 10, 2004 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N3670S, was involved in an incident near Daytona Beach, Florida. It was a flight test 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
Improper maintenance/installation by the propeller overhaul/repair facility, which resulted in stress related fatigue and the eventual separation of the propeller pitch change pin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2004 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N3670S · no longer on the register · serial E1702
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The mechanic stated that he and the pilot were conducting a maintenance test flight, when the incident occurred. He further stated that after takeoff, and during climb to cruise, at an altitude of 1,000 feet AGL, as the pilot reduced power from 2,700 rpm to 2,500 rpm, all of a sudden there was a loud bang, and the airplane started to shudder and shake violently. He stated that the pilot reduced power, and returned for an otherwise uneventful landing. Examination of the airplane revealed that one blade of the three-bladed McCauley propeller appeared to be in negative pitch, and when moved, it revolved freely in the hub. Further examination revealed that the pitch change actuating pin for the No. 3 propeller blade had separated, with a threaded portion of the pin still remaining in the hub. On May 10, 2004, the incident McCauley propeller blade, and associated propeller parts, were examined at the NTSB Metallurgical Laboratory, Washington DC. The examination revealed that for the affected blade, the ferrule hole into which the fractured pitch change actuator pin had been inserted, had threads that did not extend into the hole as specified by the propeller manufacturer. The threads extended about one half the distance from the bottom of the hole, and fatigue cracking was found to be in the threads of the pin, and the fatigue crack had progressed about 95 percent of the way through the pin before it separated due to overstress. Records indicated that the propeller had last been overhauled on January 30, 1997,by a maintenance facility in Johnson City, New York, about 678 flight hours prior to 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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,595 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2003; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,780 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Daytona Beach FL at 4:27 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from DAB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.