# Incident 20021018030909I: Piper PA28236, Altoona, PA, October 18, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 18, 2002, 08:30 local time
- Place: Altoona, PA
- Airport: Altoona-Blair County
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.2844° N, 78.3169° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2844&lon=-78.3169&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4295R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4295R) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-236 (registry code 7102815, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-236) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28236
- Pilot flight hours: 750 total, 500 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC03IA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03IA011) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021018030909I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) FOLLOW-UP VISIT TO AOO 10-31-02 REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO RH WING. PERFORMED ENGINE START AND RUN, ENGINE IDLE CHECK AND LOW RPM MAG CHECK, AND FUEL SELECTOR CHECK, ALL WITH NO PROBLEMS. DID NOT RUN ENGINE TO FULL POWER DUE TO CONFIGURATION OF AIRCRAFT. MAGNETO (DUAL BENDIX-D-3000) WAS REMOVED FROM ENGINE AND DISASSEMBLED ON BENCH. FOUND BURNING OF SPARK PLUG WIRE CONTACTS IN OUTBOARD DISTRIBUTOR OUTER TOWERS, FURTHER DISASSEMBLY REVEALED BURNED DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR FINGERS (BOTH ROTORS) AND INNER DISTRIBUTOR BLOCK CONTACTS. CONTAMINATION AND EVIDENCE OF CARBON TRACK ARCING WAS OBSERVED ON AND BETWEEN THE DISTRIBUTOR BLOCK ELECTRODES, FACILITATED BY A GREASE FILM FROM THE CENTER MAGNET SHAFT AFT BEARING. GREASE WAS OBSERVED IN SMALL PILES INSIDE THE MAGNETO HOUSING IN LINE WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR DRIVE GEARS. NTSB ACCIDENT #NYC03LA111 WAS DOWNGRADED TO INCIDENT ^PRIVACY DATA^

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC03IA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03IA011), Oct 18, 2002: Piper PA-28-236 (N4295R), Altoona, PA, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: A failure of the fuel selector for an undetermined reason.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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