How lucky were they that it didn’t penetrate the cabin or shear off part of the wing or tail ?

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/17/plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-propeller-falls-off-over-sydney

Someone tightened the screw without holding onto the nut.

Bubblecar said:

Someone tightened the screw without holding onto the nut.

The pilot was really cool when called in a Pan. Very laid back, NASA style.

The chances of the departing propeller not causing fatal damage to either the aircraft itself, or the occupants is surprising to say the very least.

It is more likely that the propellor simply disintegrated and the small pieces swept away in the wind.

roughbarked said:

It is more likely that the propellor simply disintegrated and the small pieces swept away in the wind.

I think that’s unlikely, that would mean that the metal would have to behave more like glass,. than ductile like metal

bob(from black rock) said:

roughbarked said:

It is more likely that the propellor simply disintegrated and the small pieces swept away in the wind.

I think that’s unlikely, that would mean that the metal would have to behave more like glass,. than ductile like metal

I don’t know if it’s still the case but old prop planes had nothing vital in the lost prop line & no seats there either.

Last time I flew in a Saab the window opposite the prop was blocked and there was no seat there, but I doubt if the fuselage would be a match for a mass of spinning metal.

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

pesce.del.giorno said:

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

mollwollfumble said:

pesce.del.giorno said:

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

and it would be a knee jerk reaction as the plane has been on most news services all day and Ray Charles could see it is a twin prop, not a nose prop…

lol stumps

rumpole said:

Last time I flew in a Saab the window opposite the prop was blocked and there was no seat there, but I doubt if the fuselage would be a match for a mass of spinning metal.

Not like that any more.

stumpy_seahorse said:

mollwollfumble said:

pesce.del.giorno said:

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

and it would be a knee jerk reaction as the plane has been on most news services all day and Ray Charles could see it is a twin prop, not a nose prop…

We are in perfect agreement.

mollwollfumble said:

pesce.del.giorno said:

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

That prop would have departed initially forwards at a great rate, then started to turn as gyroscopic precession took effect. It’s got forwards initially because of the thrust it was making and the rotational inertia it would have. But then after a few seconds it’d start to get a bit of angle on it and away it would go away from the plane.

Spiny Norman said:

mollwollfumble said:

pesce.del.giorno said:

Assuming the whole prop assembly disengaged intact, I reckon it would just fly forwards, and then get swept away above the wing. I don’t think there would be much risk of impacting the fuselage. If a single blade was thrown off though – could go anywhere.

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

That prop would have departed initially forwards at a great rate, then started to turn as gyroscopic precession took effect. It’s got forwards initially because of the thrust it was making and the rotational inertia it would have. But then after a few seconds it’d start to get a bit of angle on it and away it would go away from the plane.

Thanks.

Now, where did it end up? And how come someone in or near Sydney does’t have a large hole in their house/car/head/garden/road?

Michael V said:

Spiny Norman said:

mollwollfumble said:

My knee jerk reaction is the exact opposite view. A single lost propeller blade would be drive sideways by centrifugal force. If it was on the nose then it’s fly away from the aircraft. A propeller on the other hand could head anywhere.

That prop would have departed initially forwards at a great rate, then started to turn as gyroscopic precession took effect. It’s got forwards initially because of the thrust it was making and the rotational inertia it would have. But then after a few seconds it’d start to get a bit of angle on it and away it would go away from the plane.

Thanks.

Now, where did it end up? And how come someone in or near Sydney does’t have a large hole in their house/car/head/garden/road?

They reckoned it came off somewhere over Camden, which, has a fair bit of non house places to drop something.

poikilotherm said:

Michael V said:

Spiny Norman said:

That prop would have departed initially forwards at a great rate, then started to turn as gyroscopic precession took effect. It’s got forwards initially because of the thrust it was making and the rotational inertia it would have. But then after a few seconds it’d start to get a bit of angle on it and away it would go away from the plane.

Thanks.

Now, where did it end up? And how come someone in or near Sydney does’t have a large hole in their house/car/head/garden/road?

They reckoned it came off somewhere over Camden, which, has a fair bit of non house places to drop something.

Maybe they’re dead & can’t report it.

poikilotherm said:

Michael V said:

Spiny Norman said:

That prop would have departed initially forwards at a great rate, then started to turn as gyroscopic precession took effect. It’s got forwards initially because of the thrust it was making and the rotational inertia it would have. But then after a few seconds it’d start to get a bit of angle on it and away it would go away from the plane.

Thanks.

Now, where did it end up? And how come someone in or near Sydney does’t have a large hole in their house/car/head/garden/road?

They reckoned it came off somewhere over Camden, which, has a fair bit of non house places to drop something.

There’s some spots in that general area where people wouldn’t notice anyway.

Tamb said:

poikilotherm said:

Michael V said:

Thanks.

Now, where did it end up? And how come someone in or near Sydney does’t have a large hole in their house/car/head/garden/road?

They reckoned it came off somewhere over Camden, which, has a fair bit of non house places to drop something.

Maybe they’re dead & can’t report it.

:)

Metal fatigue, non visible cracks. ?

I wonder which way the propeller flew off.

Tau.Neutrino said:

I wonder which way the propeller flew off.

In the direction of Camden I think. It was definitely not in the direction of my place which these Rex overfly every day.
An airline named Rex! FFS

They found it.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/rex-propeller-found-in-sydney-bushland/news-story/97817f30f38ecbcae734a6b5fe5cacb8