Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA32 near Atlanta, GA — 2020-10-11

Final reportERA21LA019
Sign in to save
Date
2020-10-11
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Airport
PDK
Aircraft
PIPER PA32
Registration
N3595W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to a right magneto anomaly, which resulted in the pilot’s decision to abort the takeoff and the subsequent runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, after takeoff, the engine lost partial power. With limited runway remaining, the pilot decided to make a forced landing during which the airplane departed the runway and traveled about 200 ft into the grass. During the runway excursion the airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. A postaccident engine test run revealed that the right magneto exhibited a drop off of 245 rpm, which exceeded the airplane manufacturer’s ground check guidance. Furthermore, the timing of the right magneto could not be determined because the contact points would not open far enough. The left magneto operated normally and had proper timing. It is likely that the anomaly observed with the right magneto resulted in a partial loss of engine power, the pilot’s decision to abort the takeoff, and the subsequent runway excursion.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

Related mishaps