Pilot Debrief

CO Z COZY near Compton, CA — 2020-11-17

Final reportWPR21LA071
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Date
2020-11-17
Location
Compton, CA, USA
Airport
CPM
Aircraft
CO Z COZY
Registration
N82V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The partial loss of engine power due to an improperly installed sparkplug.

NTSB narrative

Approximately 3 minutes after departure, at an altitude of 1,500 ft, the airplane’s engine experienced a partial loss of power, and the pilot initiated a return to the airport. During the landing roll, the airplane bounced, veered off the runway, and ground looped. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the No. 2 cylinder bottom spark plug was laying loose in the engine compartment with the ignition lead still attached. The spark plug threads and corresponding threads in the cylinder displayed no signs of damage, which was consistent with the improper installation of the spark plug. The engine was repaired about 11 months before the accident, which is likely when the spark plug was improperly installed. The airplane accumulated approximately 8 hours since the maintenance.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after engine started to run rough.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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