A propeller detached from an aircraft flying above Oxford and struck the ground in a park, creating a loud noise.
The aircraft was a DG Flugzeugbau DG-1000T glider equipped with a retractable sustainer engine, piloted by someone whose identity was not disclosed. The aircraft had departed from Weston-on-the-Green close to Bicester and encountered difficulties above the city in April of the previous year.
According to a report recently issued by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, shortly after engine power was engaged, the pilot detected a loud bang, retracted the engine, and verified that complete control of the aircraft remained possible.
There were no casualties among those on the ground or in the aircraft.
Although the propeller was missing, the aircraft managed to return safely to Weston-on-the-Green without causing harm to its two occupants. The detached propeller was subsequently discovered among trees at Court Place Farm Nature Park adjacent to the A40 close to Northway in Oxford.
The high-performance two-seater aircraft sustained what were described as minor damages to its airframe when the propeller separated.
The incident took place during the aircraft’s third sortie that day, occurring approximately 12 kilometres into the flight at 4.23pm.
Examination following the flight verified that the propeller had become disconnected while airborne, inflicting slight damage to the upper fuselage, a solar panel, and the upper section of the left wing.
The inquiry determined that the component connecting the propeller to the engine separated within a rubber section, with one portion remaining affixed to the engine and the other staying with the propeller.
Investigators discovered that the metal surface on the engine side possessed insufficient texture, preventing the adhesive between the rubber and metal from forming a proper bond.
The configuration made achieving adequate metal roughness difficult, and no adequate inspection procedures existed to identify this issue.
Following the occurrence, the manufacturer has updated both the coupling design and manufacturing approach to ensure appropriate surface texture is consistently attained and the rubber-to-metal connection is strengthened.
These alterations aim to rebuild confidence in engine operation and minimise the possibility of additional in-flight propeller losses on this aircraft type.
The DG Flugzeugbau DG-1000T is capable of reaching a maximum velocity of 170 miles per hour and typically cruises at 69 miles per hour.
Comparable versions serve military organisations in Australia, France, Indonesia and the United States.
The occurrence at Northway represented merely another accident among several that have occurred in Oxfordshire’s airspace.
Peter Hughes, aged 71, lost his life when a replica Spitfire he was piloting at Enstone Airfield, close to Chipping Norton, crashed during takeoff in July 2024. The aircraft came to rest inverted and burst into flames.
Just eleven months prior to Mr Hughes’ accident, Trevor Bailey, aged 68, perished when an comparable replica Spitfire he was operating span uncontrollably and crashed at the same airfield in August 2023.