Prop damage from AWOL spinner

Last weekend I lost my spinner through my prop. I had removed it the previous weekend because the screw kept coming loose. I was going to leave it off until I found the right solution. An A&P where I keep my plane saw me messing with it, and came over to help. He went and grabbed a bolt and a difference nut plate, and put the spinner on. He didn't torque the bolt down as tight as I would have because he "didn't want to crush the nose of the spinner". I questioned him on it, asked if we should put lock-tite on it, and he said "naw, that ain't comin' off". Last time I take advice from him.

Two flight hours later the spinner went through the prop. Although the damage to the prop wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, I'm still wondering if my $1,300 prop is now a wall-piece. I've already contacted the manufacturer (Prince Aircraft) and I'm waiting on their response. Let me know what you think. I did fly ~2.5hrs after this occurred (after checking it out on the ground).

Tell me what you think...repairable or not?

Pictures:
http://www.wotelectronics.com/prop/

Originally Posted by SteveR

Last weekend I lost my spinner through my prop. I had removed it the previous weekend because the screw kept coming loose. I was going to leave it off until I found the right solution. An A&P where I keep my plane saw me messing with it, and came over to help. He went and grabbed a bolt and a difference nut plate, and put the spinner on. He didn't torque the bolt down as tight as I would have because he "didn't want to crush the nose of the spinner". I questioned him on it, asked if we should put lock-tite on it, and he said "naw, that ain't comin' off". Last time I take advice from him.

Two flight hours later the spinner went through the prop. Although the damage to the prop wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, I'm still wondering if my $1,300 prop is now a wall-piece. I've already contacted the manufacturer (Prince Aircraft) and I'm waiting on their response. Let me know what you think. I did fly ~2.5hrs after this occurred (after checking it out on the ground).

Tell me what you think...repairable or not?

Pictures:
http://www.wotelectronics.com/prop/

Howdy Steve!

It's been my experience that if you ask a manufacturer, "Is this broken?", they'll see it as an opportunity to sell you another one. I don't know about airplane parts companies. Do most of them play straight with people? I guess I'm just overly suspicious.

Fisherman wrote:
SteveR Wrote:
Last weekend I lost my spinner through my prop. I had removed it the
previous weekend because the screw kept coming loose. I was going to
leave it off until I found the right solution. An A&P where I keep my
plane saw me messing with it, and came over to help. He went and
grabbed a bolt and a difference nut plate, and put the spinner on. He
didn't torque the bolt down as tight as I would have because he "didn't
want to crush the nose of the spinner". I questioned him on it, asked if
we should put lock-tite on it, and he said "naw, that ain't comin' off".
Last time I take advice from him.

Two flight hours later the spinner went through the prop. Although the
damage to the prop wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, I'm still
wondering if my $1,300 prop is now a wall-piece. I've already contacted
the manufacturer (Prince Aircraft) and I'm waiting on their response.
Let me know what you think. I did fly ~2.5hrs after this occurred
(after checking it out on the ground).

Tell me what you think...repairable or not?

Pictures:
http://www.wotelectronics.com/prop/

Howdy Steve!

It's been my experience that if you ask a manufacturer, "Is this
broken?", they'll see it as an opportunity to sell you another one. I
don't know about airplane parts companies. Do most of them play
straight with people? I guess I'm just overly suspicious.


--
Fisherman

Lost a ittty bitty spinner, you know the ones that just cover the prop
bolts and little more. It hit the end of the prop as that was the only
nick I could find, then hit the wing tip, just a small scratch. The
local A&P was jumping up and down claiming I had to take the engine
apart to check for crankshaft damage from a prop strike. I just filed
the nick and put on a new spinner.

Sport Pilot wrote:
The
local A&P was jumping up and down claiming I had to take the engine
apart to check for crankshaft damage from a prop strike. I just filed
the nick and put on a new spinner.


Was this the same A&P who didnt do the job right in the first place? I
wonder if he would be willing to finance a 3rd party doing the teardown
and inspection, cause that is who I would send the bill to.

I may be mistaken, but I was told if the strike didnt result in engine
stoppage a teardown was not needed.

Dave

Dave S wrote:


Sport Pilot wrote:
The

local A&P was jumping up and down claiming I had to take the engine
apart to check for crankshaft damage from a prop strike. I just filed
the nick and put on a new spinner.


Was this the same A&P who didnt do the job right in the first place? I
wonder if he would be willing to finance a 3rd party doing the teardown
and inspection, cause that is who I would send the bill to.

I may be mistaken, but I was told if the strike didnt result in engine
stoppage a teardown was not needed.

Dave

It kinda 'depends'.
There's an AD for Lycs that says you must inspect a gear in the
accessory case if you have a prop strike even if the strike is against
*grass*.

I suppose if you're smart enough to fly a homebuilt (or to wipe off the
grass stains) then the AD might not apply...

No problem to fix it.

The old AC 43 ?? tell you how to do it.

best
Jan Carlsson
JC Propeller Design
www.jcpropellerdesign.com

"SteveR" skrev i meddelandet
...

Last weekend I lost my spinner through my prop. I had removed it the
previous weekend because the screw kept coming loose. I was going to
leave it off until I found the right solution. An A&P where I keep my
plane saw me messing with it, and came over to help. He went and
grabbed a bolt and a difference nut plate, and put the spinner on. He
didn't torque the bolt down as tight as I would have because he "didn't
want to crush the nose of the spinner". I questioned him on it, asked if
we should put lock-tite on it, and he said "naw, that ain't comin' off".
Last time I take advice from him.

Two flight hours later the spinner went through the prop. Although the
damage to the prop wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, I'm still
wondering if my $1,300 prop is now a wall-piece. I've already contacted
the manufacturer (Prince Aircraft) and I'm waiting on their response.
Let me know what you think. I did fly ~2.5hrs after this occurred
(after checking it out on the ground).

Tell me what you think...repairable or not?

Pictures:
http://www.wotelectronics.com/prop/


--
SteveR