OpenAirDocs.org

20100601005369A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Eagle Aircr EAGLE DW-1 · Waterville, WA · June 1, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 1, 2010 · 11:29 local
Place
Waterville, WA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8815U
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10LA272
Reported as
Eagle Aircr Eagle DW-1
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,100 total1 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N8815URegistered now · Eagle EAGLE DW-1S/N DW-1-0094-83 · Built 1983Airframe modelEagle EAGLE DW-1Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot was making a delivery flight from Waterville, WA to chester, Montana. Approximately 10 minutes into flight the engine started to run rough, surge, and backfire. Pilot turned back towards airport and troubleshoot. Pilot could not figure out anything and decided that the airport was too FAR away and to land the aircraft in a plowed field. The pilot shut the engine down and landed. As aircraft transfered weight to ground the wheels dug into the dirt and the aircraft flipped over and slid approximately 8 feet. Pilot exited the aircraft without injury. Inspection of the aircraft determined that the right 'p' lead had broken the main/center lead right as the wire enters the magneto. The outer cloth covering and the wire shielding showed evidence of having been broken for quite some time. Several strands of the cloth wrapping on the 'p' lead held the outer portion of the wire attached. The center lead was able to intermittently ground to the wire shielding causing the engine to sputter and backfire. The change in engine RPM caused the propeller governor to flutuate causing the engine RPM to surge back and forth.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS MAKING A DELIVERY FLIGHT FROM WATERVILLE, WA TO CHESTER, MONTANA. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, SURGE, AND BACKFIRE. PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARDS AIRPORT AND TROUBLESHOOT. PILOT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT ANYTHING AND DECIDED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS TOO FAR AWAY AND TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND LANDED. AS AIRCRAFT TRANSFERED WEIGHT TO GROUND THE WHEELS DUG INTO THE DIRT AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET. PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT 'P' LEAD HAD BROKEN THE MAIN/CENTER LEAD RIGHT AS THE WIRE ENTERS THE MAGNETO. THE OUTER CLOTH COVERING AND THE WIRE SHIELDING SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN BROKEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SEVERAL STRANDS OF THE CLOTH WRAPPING ON THE 'P' LEAD HELD THE OUTER PORTION OF THE WIRE ATTACHED. THE CENTER LEAD WAS ABLE TO INTERMITTENTLY GROUND TO THE WIRE SHIELDING CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SPUTTER AND BACKFIRE. THE CHANGE IN ENGINE RPM CAUSED THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR TO FLUTUATE CAUSING THE ENGINE RPM TO SURGE BACK AND FORTH.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR10LA272Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWaterville, WAA worn wire in the magneto system, which allowed intermittent grounding and a loss of engine power.Jun 1, 2010 · Substantial damage