Propeller Gone, Survival On: My Emergency Landing Instead of Crashing | Cockpit Wisdom Ep. 9

[@ssairshows]

Thank you for all the comments and private messages. In the interests of clarifying a few points as to what could cause the prop bolts to shear and break on an engine and prop with 18 hours...this engine was professionally built for one purpose - to make power at altitude for running at wide open throttle to drive an inverted flat spin and break a world record. The amount of torque and horsepower it produces (248hp) are far beyond what a certified Lycoming O-360 making 180 hp on a certified plane would make. This is the nature of experimental aviation and world record breaking. The prop was ground adjustable with hollow carbon fiber blades in an aluminum clamp style hub and weighed 17 lbs. There is no definitive reason why the prop bolts sheared after only a few hours; however, combustion impulse harmonic vibration is suspected but without the remains of the prop we'll never know for sure. Knowing this plane was at the extreme edge of experimental aviation I used every bit of threat and error management (TEM) to mitigate and reduce risks when flying this machine. The remains of the prop have never been found. The FAA reached out to LAPD and LA Fire, neither reported any related incidents or injuries.

[@charleslindsay3201]

i forget whether it is called hydrogen or nitrogen embrittlement but i had that problem at a company i worked for where suddenly the heads were snapping off of screws on the production line.purchasing dept. had changed suppliers for a cheaper price.cost a lot more in rework.anyway bogus hardware has been a problem.

[@Jeffrey-817]

So glad you are okay Spencer. 😮 I took one of my first acro rides in an S2 at your home airport in 1980. It became one of a few events leading me down the following 40 year experimental aviation path that has been such a joy. In that time I built and owned 4 ultralights, 2 experimental planes including a S9 used for acro only. These aircraft were built by me, I knew every bolt and control linkage, the weak spots and how to land them dead stick, especially the S9 . That said, my instructors Chas and “Bunny” saved my life two times and they have sat next to me whispering in my ear on more than one occasion. I was an instructor for a decade and have always used my personal experiences to help others learn. Two structural failures (broken 3/32 stainless tail support wire and failed BRS parachute mount while performing rolls had no bearing on the safe landings that followed: Only because the words echoing in my ears: “fly the plane all the way down” made my landings seem almost normal, even with the violent shaking of the control stick at the beginning of each event. Then, the biggest event: My stupidity😂. In July 2017 I spent the day working on my propellor pitch (Warp Drive) to get a nasty vibration out. I was in a foreign airport, not familiar with any of the local area, the sun was setting, I had enough fuel for a 20 minute plus 15 test flight with nobody in the pattern. I made sure all my tools were accounted for, hopped in and fired her up. Departing to the SW I climbed to 3000, did some clearing turns and smiled with glee at the gorgeous orange, yellow, blue color display of grandfather sun. The winds were stiff from the NE and I quickly performed some dutch rolls, wing overs etc to torque on the prop and make sure I achieved my goals. I decided to head back to the little field I departed and used my compass to set an approximate vector considering where I thought I was. Turning back I realized I DIDN’T recognize anything! No problem, Ill call the FBO for some help. Oh…I didn’t bring my handheld. Then the lights in the instrument panel decided to fail. And oh yeah, the sectional…Where is it? Back in my car. How much fuel do I have? Oh…maybe 20 minutes. Well, the land has turned dark below me. I can see no beacons or big empty spaces . (I had drifted 20 miles from the airport). All I could do was follow Bunnies training. She flew Beech 18s for a UPS contractor in the mid west and had lost many instruments during her 500 mile package routes so dead reckoning was her middle name. Those old planes were barely viable on the thin margins of a freight companies budget. Bunny always said: climb high, remain calm, plan several descent possibilities always aiming for lowest population density but remembering to look for dark patches 1/2 mile or more with lights defining the boundaries. So up I went to 6000 feet thinking that left a few gallons for a descent, leaned out and looked around as I made a 360. Way off in the distance I saw a glowing orb like a static million candle power spot light. Everything around it was black. It looked to be at 45 degrees below about 10-20 miles out , just couldn’t make the horizon out. I was cussing myself out for the idiocies that conspired to kill me. Thinking of my soul mate who had received only one call in the time I had been flying (late arrival home, had to land out when the engine sucked a valve while making a movie). I figured this time it would be the police. I set up my route to “the orb” praying it was a big shopping center having a sales event. I might be able to land in the fields that often lay behind it like many malls are built in rural NC. My guiding light disappeared as I approached. Just the huge dark space below where it had been. I figured it was a pasture or farm and set up to land using your spiraling technique. At about 2000 feet I started a mild slip that would bring me to ground level about 1000 feet passed a road that came into view with scant street lamps. Right about that time: My departure airports runway lights came on and I found myself a bit high on the VASI for runway 10. I still have no idea what the orb was, why the runway lights came on unless it was an over flying aircraft or how I made it back with a few cups of fuel floating back in forth in the tank. I only have gratitude for the angles and old flight instructors that brought an impatient and foolish old pilot home to fly another day. Here’s to your angels my friend. Best wishes Jeffrey

[@NateG3678]

Hats off sir! There are many competent aviators that could have handled the situation, BUT one of the main reasons I thoroughly enjoy your content, besides being a very skilled aviator, is that you are a humble man. That alone makes me listen and respect you as a person. Hats off again!!

[@williewonka1970]

You are inspiration to every pilot...your training and skills saved the plane and your life...Great Job...

[@skycop3855]

What a life saving training video for all! You are to be commended. With honor this would be great video for Safety Seminars at all airports across the globe. Preparation and planning expertise excellence. Thank you.

[@interrestrial9815]

I love your narration and your understated approach. Having lost power unexpectedly but still having my prop, I can relate. My passenger never knew that something was amiss until we were silently sitting on the runway, when he finally asked, "Are we going to go park?" Preparation, practice, and determination to win.

[@chrisdutoit2641]

Well done Spencer! You are an icon to me, and I have learned a lot from your channel. Thank you for sharing, and once again, great job handling an extreme situation.

[@MrJoeleve]

Hi Spencer, I remember when this happened to you. It's a great lesson for aviators and seaman alike not to lose your composure under duress. So, glad it worked out that day for y ou!

[@davidkeating1379]

Great video, I especially like the message of threat mitigation by advance planning. It may be a somewhat longer route, but it adds a nice margin of safety.

[@lagyro]

Fantastic job saving your skin... I was on the tarmak at Whiteman when you landed and very surprise to see you walking around where a propeller should have been spinning, so it is nice to hear some details about your "adventure"...

[@redblackvette]

Well sir great job!! And I know the feeling....I was on down wind when my prop departed. I pitched for best glid speed and shorted my downwind and came in for landing. I have God the glory and then went and found my prop......

[@stevewayne1359]

3:1 glide ratio!!! Holy cow ... that's 5x lower than the glide ratio of a Boeing 747!!!. Incredible flying!!!

[@robfredericks2984]

I think that is a mistake. I think he meant 13:1, otherwise he would not have had the altitude and distance needed to take those 360s to lose altitude. Remember he said it weighed 800#, and it has 2 sets of wings. I flew ancient jets (Navy F-9F's, Cougars) that could be dead-sticked in and that was a preferred option for the instructors rather than the ejection seat that caused spine injuries. Our wings were small and the A/C was heavy---compliment s of the Grumman iron works!

[@RobertWillis-mw9nd]

I also lost a prop off my RV6 in 2014 at 1000ft and three miles from runway off my IO-360 lycoming with Hartzell CS oil covered windshield used GPS to find airport.

[@scottmiller3733]

Well done and thanks for sharing. I had a similar incident in 1996. I was in the front seat of an S2-B when the prop departed during entry to an inverted flat spin. (Sheared at the crankshaft) We end up landing off field on a small paved road near KAPA in Colorado. No injuries or additional damage to the aircraft due to the amazing job of the PIC!

[@GreatDataVideos]

Reminds me when I was flying by DC at 17,000 feet and the oil temperature redlined. I asked ATC for vectors to an airport with maintenance facilities. He just got me out of his airspace and vectored me to a rural airport with no maintenance. I kept the plane high until I knew I could make the runway. I then see trucks doing maintenance on the runway about 2/3rds down the runway. I did a forward slip to lose the excess altitude and landed safely without power. Huge challenge, but because I had received good training, it was successful.

[@donnakano3697]

Classic case of being prepared!

[@docsavage9901]

Slip for the win! Got to love a good slip, come in a little hot and high just in case and slip in down.

[@ssairshows]

Yup! That's basic airmanship in all planes and more so in planes without flaps.

[@jvtaylor3]

Wow, incredible luck and skill, especially in a Pitts.

[@jamescollier3]

he was well setup, due to experience

[@bruceking8291]

You have more experience than I. With the altitude you had I would have made a direct beeline for the airport and then circled down. I would never have turned away from the airport doing circles over the freeway. What you did worked and I am glad it was a successful outcome.

[@coriscotupi]

Well done, sir. And thanks for the report. Here's a story from our local flying club in Rio, Brazil. One of our pilots was doing aerobatics over the airfield in a post-WWII Fokker S.11, when his propeller departed the airplane. He had altitude to spare and was over the runway, so he landed without incident. About an hour later, an angry man came to the flying club, carrying an almost two-meter long, wooden propeller and said, _"I think this might belong to you people. It landed on my barbecue party, just missed a few of my guests. Next time, keep it bolted to your airplane"._

[@simeon2851]

😮😮😮

[@andrewfragala5131]

Outstanding video showing how a professional deals with an emergency. I remember reading a while ago about vibrations from electronic ignition systems causing propeller fatigue. There was a gentleman who had a constant speed MT propeller fail, and they suspected it was to the the EI. They talked about certain combinations of propeller and EI could cause failure. Good luck getting it fixed! Looking forward to more videos.

[@ryanwest2825]

Wow incredible. I keep going back to where it initially happened for you, and try to honestly figure out what I would have realistically done. Probably head straight to the airfield, realized I was too high, then who knows. Come in way too hot probably. Amazing work and thanks for making this a lesson for all of us.

[@nononsenseBennett]

Great report.

[@LabGuyCFI]

Excellent Job Spencer!

[@gregmeadors9624]

Excellent airmanship. Glad you made it back down safely! Essentially you were flying an experimental aircraft and the propeller and engine were not playing well together.

[@ssairshows]

There's experimental and then there's what I was doing which is at the margin of experimental and ridiculous. That's how you break world records.

[@JosephRosenberger-wu5mm]

I owned an S-1 and got decent at making it do my bidding but have to admit that there was never a landing that I made that didn’t include a hefty quota of fear.

[@aaronhammond7297]

Bigger flywheel would have reduced the torque impulse from the engine, and also increased gyro forces for more spins?

[@ssairshows]

Gyro forces are a double edge sword...the heavier the spinning disk, the more precession and rigidity. Precession works in favor of the inverted flat spin while rigidity works against it. There is also crankshaft stresses from G load especially with 2 blade props. In any case, the S1 is the fastest spinning plane, PERIOD. All I needed to do was get it higher with an engine that could also make power at altitude to create the torque to drive the spin.

[@kr6dr]

When I heard 12.5:1 compression, I thought “huge torque impulses”. I wonder if there’s a dampener coupling available that could smooth that out without weighing too much or generating too much heat? I’m so glad you were able to land safely. I’m glad it was a carbon fiber propeller falling out of the sky. Looking forward to Bryan’s take on the incident…

[@Tom_in_CA]

That is really amazing. Great advice I will take!

[@JustPlaneSilly]

I lost it at "It's red"!!! LOL

[@trappedinkalifornee]

Nice job👍🏼👍🏼

[@luizdejardin4432]

Training, experience and loooots of mental and practice for the emergency, not easy but feasable! Nice landing without propeller...👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@dsacton]

Great job!

[@ZhihengCao]

I have a Pitts S1 with constant speed prop and 200hp engine. I had to spend over $13k to have the prop hub replaced in an annual. Just wondering, at what altitude did you head toward the runway? Was it the standard 500ft AGL as base-final turn or 1000ft to give you more margin? Was the no prop glide ratio similar to engine idle glide ratio or better glide?

[@robertbrassell1215]

Well done, and great presentation. I seem to recall Sean Tucker having a similar incident and video some years ago.

[@saymon.pena57]

Very educational, thanx for sharing Spencer, great tips! 🤙🏻

[@piper0428]

Thank you for sharing! Truly amazing!

[@Jim-fe2xz]

So glad you made it OK but it sure seems like a good idea exactly why the prop "came off"! I suspect that the prop pieces didn't kill anyone on the ground or we would have heard about that. Seems to be a good idea all around to keep all the pieces where they're supposed to be. Stay safe out there!

[@SettledBatches]

3:1 glide ratio is a black-diamond at Tahoe.

[@Renato.Stiefenhofer.747driver]

... when I touched down... there were a few minor bounces... I like your sense of humor. I'm pretty sure you were sweating after that fan disappeared. The Pitts is a handfull, even when everything works. Good job, well done. What's next? Regards from Switzerland. RS ✈ TEM is not only for airline pilots. Preparation and training is everything. .

[@haroldnelson3734]

Wow! You sounded just as cool as a cucumber...even though your pilot cooler had parted company. Great job!!

[@havenrich]

Wow, that's not the best way to get a glider lesson! You did well...

[@405george]

Did you find the prop?great job

[@easttexan2933]

I bet that was a shocker !! Well done. Had your bird just come out of maintenance by chance? Did the prop miss the wing? Any other damage other than the cowling? T hanks for sharing.

[@greglaroche1753]

Was there any sign that the prop bolts sheared? What changes do you plan to make to the power plant propeller configuration ? Thanks for the video !

[@ssairshows]

Thanks for watching! No signs until the prop went missing...that was a big sign! The engine was repaired and now has a Catto 3 blade prop.

[@rockets4kids]

I'd just like to make it clear, it's not normal for the front to fall off.

[@Tglass]

Still enjoying your series. Keep it up.

[@ssairshows]

Thanks!

[@dafox0427]

I'm curious. How was the prop's Emergency landing? Was it as good as yours?

[@ssairshows]

🙃

[@MarkShinnick]

You also had Van Nuys made....did you decide Whiteman was less overall disruption to VNY traffic?

[@ssairshows]

Van Nuys was 5 miles and Whiteman was 2 miles. When you NEED to get on the ground NOW, get on the ground NOW.

[@MrFergeson]

Did they ever find the propellor?

[@robamaral9089]

You get 3 Sullenbergers for that landing 👍🇺🇸

[@AlbertRobinson-v3y]

How much time in service did the prop bolts have? Could it be fatigue fractures from all the heavy akro and when was the last time the prop bolts were torqued ? I would definitely have the remaining ends evaluated to determine the failure mode. You did good.. Well done Sir..

[@ssairshows]

The engine, prop and bolts all had 18 hours and the bolts were torqued after 2 hours when we did a pitch adjustment (this was a ground adjustable fixed pitch prop), then again 5 hours later as called for by the manufacturer. In terms of calendar time this 18 hours occurred over a few months. We suspect the aluminum hub was cracking from harmonic vibration due to the high combustion impulses. There was fretting on the prop flange to indicate this.

[@JustSayN2O]

Doesn’t matter what’s to blame. California is a No Fault divorce state.

[@ssairshows]

Funniest Comment so far! 🤣

[@jayrenner211]

At least the prop did not take half of everything in the divorce settlement - engine, gas tanks, wings, rudder, horizontal stabilizer........

[@moodberry]

Did you shut off the engine or let it idle as you descended?

[@ssairshows]

I pulled it to idle when the prop departed. It then stopped running on its own. This is what the engine monitor showed.

[@chrisberry7120]

Good job, especially in a plane that doesn't like to glide.

[@pmj059]

No Mayday call? Did you get the prop back? Hopefully it didn't injure anyone on the ground?

[@ssairshows]

The mayday call is there in the audio with ATC...it's just hard to hear at the beginning. That clip is from LiveATC. IMHO, people put too much emphasis on the mayday call...ATC is always there to help when you need them. What's more important is the key takeaway; be on frequency with ATC getting flight following when flying VFR. Then all you have to do is key the mic and talk because when sh*t happens you won't have time to look for the frequency.

[@Twobeers1]

Good job on a safe landing. I have heard it said that any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing. Did all 6 bolts shear off of the flywheel? Just sayin

[@sipet214]

What happened with the prop? Did anybody complained about being hit on the ground?

[@leifvejby8023]

We don't know - it was carbon and most likely scattered when it broke free and hit the engine.

[@ssairshows]

The FAA called LAPD and LA Fire after I landed to see if anyone reported anything falling from the sky...nothing came of that.

[@timothyknight2236]

Was the prop ever found? Did it hit anything?

[@ssairshows]

No and no.

[@jbj27406]

Instead of starting with the aftermath, let's talk about how the prop "fell off" first.

[@ssairshows]

Thanks for watching and great question! If you read some of my replies to other comments in this section I've covered that a couple of times. Keep in mind this plane is experimental and the modifications I did to break a world record we're definitely the extreme. I also addressed it in the video where I said risk and reward are what it takes to break World Records. The video was about threat and error management (TEM), the takeaways from an actual emergency, and what can be learned from good mitigation tactics.

[@capnhardway]

Did the prop damage anything on thy ground?

[@ssairshows]

No reported damage from LAPD and LA Fire Dept. The remains of the prop were never found.

[@robamaral9089]

U rock man 🇺🇸

[@pirateatfourty]

why my s1 is hanging ont he wall in my hanger lol i bought that girl back in 1974 flew it maybe 200 hours then parked it. was a vvery hard plane to lland. funny i bought a plane back in 1979 in santa paula. was a stinson reliant.wife and i used to love to fly there in out p210 from the ranch in patterson calif for sunday lunch not sure if the airport resurant is still there/ havent been bacck there in over 25 years.

[@christopherleveck6835]

So did you spiral down inverted?

[@christopherleveck6835]

Is this common with Pitts? My buddy was flying one and lost his propeller....

[@ssairshows]

It's common for aerobatic planes with 2 blade props to crack the crank flange over time and if left unchecked it could certainly break off. Most of the time the cracks are caught at the annual and the engine is sent for overhaul. With 3 blade props this almost never happens.

[@chuckhoward3626]

"Gliding is the only thing a Pitts isn't good at..." This Pilot wanted to be the first kid on his block to.... (Fill in the Blank)

[@LightAndSportyGuy]

The front fell off. And, good job managing that!!!!!!!!!!

[@robfredericks2984]

Naval Aviation saying: Whatever can happen, will happen.

[@pittss2c601]

It looks like the prop bolts sheared. The ends of the bolts are still there. Did you have a solid hub crank? It doesn’t look like the hub broke. How did you shear the prop bolts? Bummer you weren’t able use that S1C for a 100+ inverted spin turn record. That’s a lot of horsepower for a 4-cylinder. That’s hilarious…’they wanted a divorce’.

[@ssairshows]

Yes, the bolts sheared. They had been shearing for the whole 18 hours. We think the high combustion impulse created a harmonic vibration that cracked the aluminum prop hub which was a ground adjustable fixed pitch. There were obvious signs of fretting on the flange

[@RoyBenAnat]

​@@ssairshows The prop is Sensenich ground adjustable? What do these signs look like?

[@ssairshows]

@RoyBenAnat no, not Sensenich. In any case there are no signs, the prop was tight the bolts had been retorqued three times and I would grab the airplane by the prop and pull it out of the hanger so clearly the prop wasn't actually loose. The only way to know would be to take the prop off and inspect everything. keep in mind this is an unusually high power, high torque engine.

[@rockets4kids]

@@ssairshows What have you been doing differently to insure this doesn't happen again? If this is a long answer, consider it a suggestion for a future video!

[@ssairshows]

@@rockets4kids Nothing, this is the nature of experimental aviation - which isn't for everyone. My risk tolerance is higher than most pilots. My threat and error management (TEM) mindset is also better developed. I decided a long time ago that if my risk factors go up then so must my skills, training, and experience. I also spare no expense on my equipment and professional services. I understand the risks I take given where and how I play in this game.

[@russellcollins5692]

Alloy Prop on the cards, huh?

[@tommypaget2294]

If your prop falls off, can you still glide to a safe landing? Or will the plane immediately nose over and dive into the ground?

[@taproom113]

😳

[@jaredjones6292]

Out to beat your own record. So, what kind of preflight inspection did you have done on your aircraft before attempting this daring feat? Happy you made a safe landing but concerned about the preparation beforehand and what you could or should have done differently.

[@ssairshows]

When you have an extreme engine built for flying in the flight levels to break records, this sort of thing happens. This is the risk of experimental aviation. The video is about what I do to mitigate these risks and how good threat and error management (TEM) is key to being prepared to fly any plane, not just extreme ones.😁

[@robamaral9089]

Sully got 155 Sullenbergers 😄

[@mikeryan6277]

3:1 holy crap

[@ssairshows]

Gliding is the only thing a Pitts isn't good at...although it's certainly better without the prop :-)

[@paulphotios3920]

So you ended up with a glider.

[@getsmarter5412]

You need to take that medication called “Mypropsaphalyn”.

[@taproom113]

🤣

[@hadleymanmusic]

Cylinder blew?

[@gmcjetpilot]

You HOT ROD "aggressively" a 180HP engine to make 248HP with 12:1, electronic ignition, "profiled cam", headers, cold intake. you are asking for engine failure or prop failure unless you do vibration analysis. I think you are lucky you were not over the mountains...

[@ssairshows]

It was purpose built to break a record and was never intended to be used for anything else. 5 minutes earlier I was over the mountains. In retrospect, flying at 9500' instead of 7500' would have better 😁🙃

[@gmcjetpilot]

@ssairshows I get it. But, you are flying it over populated areas and remote desolate mountains (or about to). And, these hot rod Lycs are hand granades, IMHO. Glad it worked out, and you did not hurt or kill yourself or anyone on the ground. Good job. BTW ATP, CFI/II/ME lifetime EAA member and builder of 2 Van's RV EAB kit aircraft over +35 yrs. My current RV-7 has a bone stock O-360A1A except.... 4into1 header, high flow airbox, dual EI. I know all about hot Lycs, not that my internally stock 180HP Lyc is a hot rod engine it's not a stock installation and not accessorized like a Mooney or Cessna. As a young man I was a hot rod car guy and built up radical engines. Blew one up one on track. Modify a stock Lyc and risks go up and reliability goes down. More HP for sure. You say calculated risk? Whose? You hit a house with your plane or prop impacts school and so on. I don't think you had all the facts to calculate the risk. May be you did, but prop failures on experimental aircraft has a long doubious infamous history. Lessons learned from accidents and incidents like yours. Fortunately yours had happy ending. Many do not. The Electonuc Ignition (EI) alone causes different power pulses and possible higher prop and crank fatigue due to harmonics. Hartzell developed new prop just for the Van's RV+25 yrs ago (so good they decided to later STC it for certified Std Cat. planes). This EI issue came out when Hartzell did flight test on modified Lycs (EI and HC pistons) on a kit plane (a Van's RV was used I recall). They were shocked. The typical HC-2YK-F7666-() prop is common on EAB's when Kit plane production was increasing with more powerful engines and CS props. They were fine on a stock lycoming with magneto 9:1 comp Lyc. Than builders started hot rodding their Lycoming and adding the new EI's for experimental aircraft, then HC pistons, headers, NOx..... Before EI the self powered Magnetos ruled. Now with EI the props are not so good structurally. Why? Harmonics and fatigue with associated higher stress at some pwr settings. Hartzell issued a warning about critical limits specifically for experimental aircraft with EI. They saw the issue and developed the "blended airfoil" props for experimental aircraft. EI still creates more stress abd always will, but they addressed it while getting more performance as the new blades are designed for the higher airspeed of kit planes. Blades have counter goals to be thin while strong and not have harmonics that amplify stress or go divergent. My suggestion put a wood/carbon fiber prop on if fixed or constant speed, AND/OR get a prop company (Hartzell will do it for a chunk of change but not ridiculious but thousands) to stain gauge your prop engine configuration installation, flight test, for vibration survey. Also, besides pilot and EAA member kit plane builder, I am an engineer by degree and 1st career before airlines. Vibration, harmonics, and flutter is a science and art. It has to be tested to fully understand and verify the math. You are stepping in a mine field doing what you did. You can't make a calculated risk assessment if you don't understand the risk. My RV-7? I have stay out RPM/MAP pwr settings. My blades Hartzell has life limited to 7000 hrs, of which they have 6000 hrs TT now. Between now and props life limit, it will go through a few inpection/ovethauls before retirement, which is more than what I'll fly in my lifetime. My O-360 is not high comp with hot cam, but my intake and exhaust are as free flowing as practically can be done. This adds HP. The kicker are two EI's, two P-Mags. I know this. So prop gets extra love. I am also taking a risk but have all the info. Did you? Same with fixed metal props. Many EAB aircraft crashed in the 70's, 80's and 90's . Those have gone done to almost (but not totally) few to nil, due to two reasons: One) builders now know failures will happen by cutting down metal props and re-pitching. Again harmonics and fatigue. Second) Sensenich recognized the need (like Hartzell did with CS props) and came up with fixed pitched metal props for fast kit planes (EAB's). They have been tested. Again they have limits but after 20+ yrs and 10,000 or more flying service history is good on the Sensenich and Hartzell's "blended airfoil". However again you do something radical never tested it's a crap shoot. I don't know what prop you had, but looks fixed due to no oil and what looks like a solid or plugged crank. The prop failed. Likely a chunk came off and ripped off crank (not crank flange failure. If wood, it's hard to absorb that much HP. Bolts have to be constantly re-torqed with wood props. My suggestion put a wood/carbon fiber prop on if fixed or constant speed, AND/OR get a prop company (Hartzell will do it for a chunk of change but not ridiculious) to stain gauge your prop engine. They flight test it, gather data, do analysis. Doubt MT would do vibration survey or at least for some reasonable cost. BTW MT props have a lot of limits even if blades are wood core composite. They too can fail and do. Their hubs are often sources of failure wgen mounted on hot rod Lycs. In defense of all prop manufacturers, they can not design a prop to be safe and long lived on every crazy modified engine to break records. BTW what prop was yours, wood or metal? Did anyone find prop? [EDIT:] I read your comment ground adjustable prop, 17lbs. Well do you need me to tell you or did you figure it out. Engine fine prop crap. Totally unsuitable for High HP Lyc. Ground adjustable props great on a Rotax UL912iS. You made a terrible choice. Go research the checkered past of GAP's. This is not the prop you should have used. A fixed 3 blade Catto wood/composite woukd have served you well. 17lb prop? HA HA HA. That tells me how underbuilt this prop was for almost 250hp Lyc with massive sharp power pulses. Just an accident waiting to happen. Ho back to your risk management model. You did not have all info and made error in your prop choice big time. GAP is not even cool on a stock Lyc.

[@ssairshows]

@gmcjetpilot I appreciate your comments. The plane now has a 3 blade Catto that was made for it after the engine was repaired. I have a great team that has supported me in my air show flying and record breaking pursuits. I'm well aware of what I'm doing and the risks. 🙃

[@trentcarlson4857]

I would look into the 4 cylinder Yamaha!!

[@gobstoppa1633]

CIRCLING TWICE IN THAT FASHION SHOWS HE HAD PLENTY OF HEIGHT AND THEREFORE TIME. BUT HEY" WHEN ITSA HAPPY ENDING I GUESS YA ENTITLED TO MILK IT LIKE AN OLD HEFFER, ANOTHER TALE FOR THE GRAND KIDS AS WELL.

[@grumman38]

You caused the prop issue by constantly putting high gyroscopic forces on it, being able to dead stick an aircraft should be basic airmanship. Nothing to see here.. Always “high key” on the approach end, not out from the end.

[@coloradomountainman8659]

Dead giveaway that you are reading this script.

[@ssairshows]

So what? It's my story, it happened, it's well documented, I wrote the script so why does that bother you?

[@troycet1]

carbon fibre is over rated

[@Tadrjbs]

Rule #1 of youtube videos. Talking heads SUCK! Show still shots of discussion instead.

[@JustPlaneSilly]

Says the guy with only Talking Head videos on his channel.