ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 19894
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| Date: | Thursday 15 May 2008 |
| Time: | 15:10 |
| Type: |  ERCO 415-C Ercoupe |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N99180 |
| MSN: | 1803 |
| Engine model: | Continental O-200-A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Penngrove, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Petaluma, CA (O69) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During cruise flight, the airplane's engine lost total power and the pilot executed a forced landing in an alfalfa field. During the landing roll in the 2 to 3-foot-tall grass, the airplane skidded sideways and the tail dug into the ground. The airplane's tail cone was buckled, and the right vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors found that both magnetos had frayed primary wires ("P" leads) at the magnetos, which could have been shorting out and intermittently killing the ignition system. They noted numerous additional maintenance discrepancies with the airplane; however, none of these would have contributed to a loss of engine power. According to the inspectors, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed about 2 months before the accident. The maintenance discrepancies found by the FAA inspectors, including the frayed "P" leads, should have been repaired during this annual inspection.
Probable Cause: The loss of engine power resulting from frayed magneto "P" leads, which shorted out and killed the ignition system. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-May-2008 09:56 | Fusko | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 03-Dec-2017 10:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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