ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44728
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 22 August 2004 |
| Time: | 13:35 |
| Type: |  Cessna 172E |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N5410T |
| MSN: | 17251310 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1964 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3955 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-300 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Decorah, IA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Decorah, IA (DEH) |
| Isle, MN (MY72) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground about 5 miles north of the departure airport. The pilot received serious injuries and the 2 passengers were fatally injured. The pilot reported that he had no recollection of the flight subsequent to announcing his intention to takeoff on the radio. He made no mention of any discrepancies detected during the pre-flight inspection or the run-up. A witness reported hearing and seeing the accident airplane during taxi, run-up, and takeoff. He stated that the rpm drop during the run-up was very high in comparison to the allowable rpm drop. The witness stated that he saw the takeoff and, based on his experience of operating a similar model airplane, the accident airplane was not accelerating as he would expect. He stated that the sound of the engine was smooth, but that he did not believe that it was developing full power during the takeoff. He further stated that the airplane's acceleration was not fast enough for a normal takeoff. The witness stated that he observed no attempt to stop or slow the airplane. He stated that he observed the airplane rotate twice and then lifted about 3 feet off of the runway before it came back down left wing high and subsequently bounced into the air. He stated that at this point, the airplane was now over the end of the runway. The witness stated that he was alarmed that the airplane was not gaining altitude and he then lost sight of it behind some large trees. He stated that he believed that continued flight would not be possible due to the degraded performance. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the contact points for the left magneto were not opening during rotation of the magneto's input shaft. The mounting screws were able to be turned with minimal effort. The investigation did not reveal when maintenance was last performed on the magneto's points. No other pre-impact discrepencies were found.
Probable Cause: The pilot's intentional operation of the airplane with a defective magneto, his failure to abort the takeoff due to degraded aircraft performance, and his failure to obtain or maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall/spin and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors were the improper installation of the magneto's contact points by unknown entities due to undertorque of the mounting screws which led to the loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040826X01294&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 18:19 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation