Lost propeller

[JDNSW]

A Regional Express Saab lost its starboard prop over the SW suburbs on approach to Sydney this afternoon. The landing was completed without further incident. The propeller has yet to be found.

[weeds]

Whoops......

[weeds]

Rex pilot keeps his cool in mayday call after propeller falls off Sydney-bound aircraft - 9news.com.au

[JDNSW]

According to the ABC there was no Mayday, but rather a Pan call.

John

[weeds]

Umm, what a pan call.....??

[JDNSW]

Next step down from a Mayday call. Used where there is not imminent danger to a flight, but there is enough going on to need to urgently notify Air Services what is happening. In this case Air Services need to know that a delayed landing or a requirement to go round is not a good idea, and it enables the captain to specify which runway he needs in the expectation that everyone else will be delayed to allow it.

This is perhaps a good example - a twin engined aircraft on approach with one engine ceasing to work would definitely require a pan call. If it was on takeoff or if it was a single engined aircraft, a mayday call would be indicated. Also, a Mayday call would be indicated if there was other damage or if the engine failure was something that could affect the other engine, such as running out of fuel, or if the aircraft was unable to maintain flight and control on one engine.

A significant difference is that a pan call is directed to a specific recipient, usually air traffic control or flight information, where a mayday call is directed to anyone listening. A mayday call by an aircraft on approach to a major airport would cause substantial disruption to its operation, mobilising emergency services etc.

[weeds]

Thanks John...good call by the pilot than not causing mass disruption......

Bet the passengers were nervous.

I landed in Brisbane today just before the tornado....

[BigBlackDog]

Kind of surprised they haven't found it yet, they are a big prop unit and it looks like it come off entirely from the gearbox from the pictures. Oops

[Hugh Jars]

The prop is probably hanging over someone's bar . Good luck getting it back

[JDNSW]

There is always the possibility that it landed in a body of water, such as Prospect reservoir, and there are still a few patches of bush. Presumably at that stage of approach it would be spinning fairly fast, and it is not clear to me what it would do aerodynamically - it may have travelled a fair distance horizontally as it fell, in an unknown direction. Not as if it were something that you could assume would lose airspeed rapidly and fall pretty much straight down, subject to wind.