Propeller
Blades, hubs and governors. A propeller is certified on its own, so its orders name the propeller maker rather than the aircraft.
Operators and repair shops have filed 8,746 failure reports about this system since 1995, 488 of them in the last ten years. The FAA has issued 467 airworthiness directives on it, the most recent April 20, 2026. The part most often named in the reports is the governor. Among model families, the Bombardier DHC-8 Dash 8 and Q400 appears most often in the last ten years; taking fleet size into account, the Piper PA-44 Seminole has the highest rate among sizeable fleets, about 0.2 reports a year for every 100 aircraft.
Failure reports by year as filed with the FAA
Failure reports by year, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| 95 | 491 |
| 96 | 2,160 |
| 97 | 704 |
| 98 | 624 |
| 99 | 470 |
| 00 | 448 |
| 01 | 254 |
| 02 | 289 |
| 03 | 281 |
| 04 | 261 |
| 05 | 219 |
| 06 | 238 |
| 07 | 194 |
| 08 | 188 |
| 09 | 200 |
| 10 | 180 |
| 11 | 253 |
| 12 | 181 |
| 13 | 173 |
| 14 | 176 |
| 15 | 173 |
| 16 | 101 |
| 17 | 99 |
| 18 | 79 |
| 19 | 100 |
| 20 | 50 |
| 21 | 45 |
| 22 | 36 |
| 23 | 20 |
| 24 | 18 |
| 25 | 25 |
| 26 | 16 |
Models most often named last ten years
Bombardier DHC-8 Dash 8 and Q400181Dehavilland DHC-831Boeing Of Canada/Dehav Div DHC-830Diamond Aircraft DA 42 Twin Star22Lockheed 38218Cessna 172 Skyhawk17Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow16Beechcraft 300 King Air 30014Beechcraft 1900 Airliner13Saab-Fairchild 34013Cessna 208 Caravan11Piper PA-44 Seminole11
Model families most named, as a table
Highest rate, fleets of 500 or more reports a year per 100 aircraft registered
Parts most often named
Governor69Propeller61Autofeather Sys47Blade25Bulkhead25Switch20Control Unit19Hub19Pcu14Seal14Pec13Controller12
Parts most reported, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| Governor | 69 |
| Propeller | 61 |
| Autofeather Sys | 47 |
| Blade | 25 |
| Bulkhead | 25 |
| Switch | 20 |
| Control Unit | 19 |
| Hub | 19 |
| Pcu | 14 |
| Seal | 14 |
| Pec | 13 |
| Controller | 12 |
Who made the parts named last ten years, as the reports code them
Dowty Propellers56Trw Hartzell Propeller INC40Mccauley Industrial CORP27Mt-Propeller Entwicklung GMBH20Cessna Aircraft CORP17Woodward Governor CO14Hamilton Sunstrand CORP10Hamilton Standard Div United Ac CORP9Beech Aircraft CORP7Austro Engine GMBH6
Part makers most named, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| Dowty Propellers | 56 |
| Trw Hartzell Propeller INC | 40 |
| Mccauley Industrial CORP | 27 |
| Mt-Propeller Entwicklung GMBH | 20 |
| Cessna Aircraft CORP | 17 |
| Woodward Governor CO | 14 |
| Hamilton Sunstrand CORP | 10 |
| Hamilton Standard Div United Ac CORP | 9 |
| Beech Aircraft CORP | 7 |
| Austro Engine GMBH | 6 |
What was wrong with them the condition reported
Malfunctioned150Cracked59Failed59Inoperative31Leaking25Broken22Damaged15Faulted14Stripped10Worn10
Conditions most reported, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| Malfunctioned | 150 |
| Cracked | 59 |
| Failed | 59 |
| Inoperative | 31 |
| Leaking | 25 |
| Broken | 22 |
| Damaged | 15 |
| Faulted | 14 |
| Stripped | 10 |
| Worn | 10 |
Where in the system the FAA's codes
propeller controlling 171Propellers 119Propellers 69Propellers 56propeller assembly 48Propellers 42Propellers 40propeller indicating 14Propellers 13Propellers 11propeller braking 4Propellers 1
What was wrong last ten years · share of 589 reports that say
a warning light or message152 (26%)partial loss of power58 (10%)flight controls affected24 (4%)vibration or buffeting23 (4%)came apart in flight14 (2%)a false warning12 (2%)smoke, fumes, odours or sparks7 (1%)no warning when there should have been7 (1%)
As a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| a warning light or message | 152 | 26% |
| partial loss of power | 58 | 10% |
| flight controls affected | 24 | 4% |
| vibration or buffeting | 23 | 4% |
| came apart in flight | 14 | 2% |
| a false warning | 12 | 2% |
| smoke, fumes, odours or sparks | 7 | 1% |
| no warning when there should have been | 7 | 1% |
When it was found last ten years · share of 589 reports that say
inspection or maintenance122 (21%)taxiing or ground handling99 (17%)take-off88 (15%)cruise82 (14%)climb78 (13%)approach25 (4%)descent17 (3%)landing14 (2%)
As a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| inspection or maintenance | 122 | 21% |
| taxiing or ground handling | 99 | 17% |
| take-off | 88 | 15% |
| cruise | 82 | 14% |
| climb | 78 | 13% |
| approach | 25 | 4% |
| descent | 17 | 3% |
| landing | 14 | 2% |
What the crew did last ten years · share of 589 reports that say
an unscheduled landing91 (15%)an aborted take-off72 (12%)an engine shut down60 (10%)an emergency descent13 (2%)a return to the gate13 (2%)fuel dumped1 (0.2%)
As a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| an unscheduled landing | 91 | 15% |
| an aborted take-off | 72 | 12% |
| an engine shut down | 60 | 10% |
| an emergency descent | 13 | 2% |
| a return to the gate | 13 | 2% |
| fuel dumped | 1 | 0.2% |
Who filed the report last ten years · share of 589 reports that say
an airline (Part 121)285 (48%)a charter or commuter operator (Part 135)90 (15%)a repair station (Part 145)80 (14%)a foreign carrier (Part 129)39 (7%)a mechanic34 (6%)a private or corporate operator (Part 91)24 (4%)the FAA15 (3%)a non-certificated international operator14 (2%)
As a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| an airline (Part 121) | 285 | 48% |
| a charter or commuter operator (Part 135) | 90 | 15% |
| a repair station (Part 145) | 80 | 14% |
| a foreign carrier (Part 129) | 39 | 7% |
| a mechanic | 34 | 6% |
| a private or corporate operator (Part 91) | 24 | 4% |
| the FAA | 15 | 3% |
| a non-certificated international operator | 14 | 2% |
How it was found last ten years · share of 589 reports that say
a visual inspection98 (17%)a functional check31 (5%)dye penetrant5 (0.8%)a magnified visual inspection5 (0.8%)eddy current2 (0.3%)magnetic particle2 (0.3%)ultrasound1 (0.2%)
As a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| a visual inspection | 98 | 17% |
| a functional check | 31 | 5% |
| dye penetrant | 5 | 0.8% |
| a magnified visual inspection | 5 | 0.8% |
| eddy current | 2 | 0.3% |
| magnetic particle | 2 | 0.3% |
| ultrasound | 1 | 0.2% |
FAA orders 467 airworthiness directives · newest first
2026-04-202026-07-03 · Powerplant Attach Fittings
2025-07-252025-13-08 · Powerplant System
2024-11-292024-20-03 · Flight Control System
2024-06-032024-07-01 · Propeller Feathering/Reversing
2024-04-172024-03-05 · Turbine Engine Reduction Gear
2023-10-202023-16-06 · Propeller Feathering/Reversing
2023-06-212023-08-07 · Propeller Controlling System
2023-04-052023-03-22 · Engine (Turbine/Turboprop)
2022-12-062022-21-13 · Propeller Hub Section
2022-09-162022-18-02 · Propeller System
2022-06-292022-12-08 · Flight Control System Wiring, Engine Control System Wiring, Engine RPM Indicating System
2022-05-272022-08-10 · Propeller Blade Section
Orders by decade
Who makes and modifies it
Companies the FAA has approved to make equipment for this system (technical standard order authorisations):
Aero-Mach Labs INC 1Aeroquip CORP. Product Eng. 1Deutsch Metal Components 1Flightcraft, INC. 1Hatfield Aviation 1Howell Instruments INC. 1Northwest Airlines, INC. 1Resistoflex Corporation 1Stratoflex, INC. Aerospace & Military Connectors Division 1Titeflex Corporation 1Ultra Electronic Flightline Systems 1Weatherhead Company 1
Approved modifications 1,798 · the companies holding the most
Hartzell Propeller INC 88Mt- Propeller Entwicklung GMBH 64Mccauley Propeller Systems 57Ram Aircraft Limited Partnership 42D'Shannon Products LTD. 30Tcb Composite CO. 28Pacific Propeller International LLC 25Mt-Propeller Entwicklung GMBH 20Air Plains Services Corporation 19Bf Goodrich Aerospace 18
Engine series most often named last ten years
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A 20Austro Engine E4P(series 15Pratt & Whitney PT6A series 15General Electric CT7-9B 10Lycoming O-360-A1H6 9General Electric CT7-5A2 4Lycoming IO-360-L2A 4Lycoming O-540-E4C5 4Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 4Continental TSIO-520-VB 3Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67AG 3Pratt & Whitney Canada PW121 3
Safety bulletins 26 · advice, not orders
Sources: FAA service difficulty reports (yearly files since 1995, grouped by the FAA's four-digit system code into this site's fourteen systems), airworthiness directives, supplemental type certificates, technical standard order authorisations and special conditions from the FAA's Dynamic Regulatory System. Rates per 100 aircraft use today's register as the fleet; they show reporting as much as reliability, and commercial fleets report more. Connections as data: /graph/system/propeller.json.