Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172N near Rockville, IN — 2014-07-16

Final reportCEN14LA374
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Date
2014-07-16
Location
Rockville, IN, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 172N
Registration
N13SK
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the dual magneto system. Contributing to the accident was the improper maintenance of the duel magneto system.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the engine experienced a partial loss of power while the airplane was in cruise flight. After the pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restore engine power, he made a forced landing to a cornfield. Postaccident examination of the dual magneto system revealed that the four screws designed to hold the magneto points in their operational positions were loose, which caused both magneto points to remain in the closed position as the center cam was rotated and likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power. Airplane maintenance records indicated that the airplane had been flown 8 hours since its last annual inspection about 5 1/2 months before the accident. No further information about the maintenance was available.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have conducted a more thorough pre-flight inspection.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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