Originally Posted by
Ex FSO GRIFFO
I saw the remains of the US Navy P-3 at Cocos that shed a prop.....unfortunately, it did not follow said 'graceful descending arc'.
Instead, it went thru the fuselage and impacted fatally with a crew member sitting adjacent to it.
The aircraft subsequently ditched into the lagoon.....for another 'associated' reason.
Thread drift....back to REX...
(Sic'em Rex)
US NAVY! Get your facts right.
It was a RAAF P3-C.
And it wasn't the prop leaving the aircraft that caused it to crash, it was a distinct lack of leading edges rendering the aircraft unflyable. Totally unrelated to propellor issues.
When the aircraft ditched, with all four props producing 100% thrust, they impacted the water/reef. All four props departed up and right. Unfortunately No 2 impacted the fuselage after departing and killed the crewmember who happened to be in his ditching station where the prop breached the fuselage.
If you don't have any idea what happened Griffo then don't comment. Unless you're a journo now, in which case just make up whatever you like.