Pilot Debrief

Vans VANS RV-10 near Lancaster, TX — 2019-09-21

Final reportCEN19LA326
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Date
2019-09-21
Location
Lancaster, TX, USA
Airport
LNC
Aircraft
Vans VANS RV-10
Registration
N569JC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to a faulty magneto/ignition system, which resulting in a forced landing.

NTSB narrative

Just after takeoff following a touch-and-go landing, the engine backfired and lost partial power. The pilot decided that he could not land on the remaining runway, so he continued to climb the airplane, raised the flaps, and increased airspeed. The manifold pressure continued to decrease despite the pilot’s application of full throttle, and the pilot attempted to return to the airport, but had insufficient altitude, and conducted a forced landing to a field. The nose landing gear sheared off, and the main landing gear collapsed. Both wings sustained substantial damage. Examination of the engine and accessories revealed that the left magneto fired on only 3 of its 6 terminals. The airplane was equipped an electronic ignition system that was coupled to the magnetos. The system created multiple sparks over a longer duration and synchronized timing between the two magnetos. This synchronization was accomplished by using the left magneto as a trigger for the complete system. When the electronic ignition was operating, it relied solely on the left magneto points to fire both magnetos with an enhanced multi-spark. If the left magneto failed or deteriorated, then the complete ignition cycle would be compromised. The degraded functionality of the left magneto was likely the cause of the partial engine power loss.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the takeoff after the initial climb issues were noted.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents3

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