It was the power turbine that failed. In the compressor section of the turbine wheel, just inches away according to the investigator, the turbine blades were intact. The Aeroscope investigator said this also proves that the damage occurred during the flight and not on impact. In such a case, the propeller would continue to spin in the final seconds of this 58 second flight. He only made it to 260 feet AGL. He was flying at 150 kts only 260 feet AGL when the turbine failed. I believe, and I am no expert, that propeller was still turning fast enough to cause the damage that was reported in the report as seen below.
Excerpt from NTSB report: All three propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub. The propeller blades were labeled A, B, and C for the purposes of the investigation.
The blades exhibited s-bending, leading edge scoring, dents, and scratches. Blade A remained attached
to the propeller hub, but was not fully intact and a small portion of it was found 200 feet north of
the main wreckage. Blade B and C were intact and remained attached to the propeller hub.
The information from an article below explains that one NTSB rep is used for this type of accident. It says that person can consult the manufacturer of the engine. I have had 3 law firms take on this case and they all agree that the manufacturer does the actual engine tear down and reports its findings to the NTSB. That is not impartial. I don't see how an NTSB rep could be present at the tear down and not see the destruction of the engine parts seen by the Aeroscope investigator. I trust the Aeroscope investigator I spoke with more than the findings in the NTSB report. I don't think the NTSB is intentionally trying to hide any evidence. I just think they are undermanned and accept whatever the manufacturer concludes concerning the engine investigation. I don't know how else to explain such a discrepancy. This wasn't a major airline disaster with many fatalities. It was only one fatality in an aircraft carrying some packages. But to me, it was a major disaster.
Excerpt from article:
There are two kinds of NTSB investigations: field office investigations and headquarters investigations.
Field Office Investigations
Fatal general aviation crashes, as well as some air carrier and commuter accidents with relatively minor injuries, are often investigated by a single field investigator from one of the NTSB's Regional Offices. If necessary, this investigator has access to technical experts at The Bureau of Technology at the NTSB Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the FBI and other federal agencies. He can also obtain consultation from any commercial operator involved or manufacturer of the airplane or its subcomponent parts. Traditionally, the Field Investigator utilizes the assistance of a Flight Standards and/or Air Traffic Control representative from the FAA Regional Office or facility involved.