Air accident over Ellesmere avoided after propeller spinner detached mid-flight
A pilot managed to land safely after getting into trouble in the skies above Ellesmere, an accident report has said.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) recorded the incident in the latest edition of its monthly bulletin.
The pilot of the Piper PA28-180 was over Shropshire on November 11 last year when the "aircraft's propeller spinner detached in flight", the AAIB said.
The spinner is the protective shielding on the nose of the propeller that reduces aerodynamic drag.
The AAIB said no no further damage occurred and the aircraft landed safely.
However, the report noted that a single 5cm crack had earlier been observed in the spinner during pre-departure checks.
