20200720012299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Tomash James MT COYOTE · Jamul, CA · July 20, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 20, 2020 · 17:00 local
Place: Jamul, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N125MC
Reported as: Tomash James MT Coyote
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N125MCRegistered now · Tomash James MT COYOTES/N 1001 Airframe modelTomash James MT COYOTE Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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 took off with a known hot magneto. While refueling the aircraft the passenger (owner) turned off the main battery switch and the two magneto switches. After the refuel the pilot turned on the battery switch then started the airplane with both magneto switches in the off position. The pilot did not check to see if both magneto switches where in the on position. Shortly after takeoff the hot magneto turned off causing complete loss of power. The pilot attempted a restart but never checked the magneto switches. The aircraft landed in a field a few miles away from the airport.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK OFF WITH A KNOWN HOT MAGNETO. WHILE REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT THE PASSENGER (OWNER) TURNED OFF THE MAIN BATTERY SWITCH AND THE TWO MAGNETO SWITCHES. AFTER THE REFUEL THE PILOT TURNED ON THE BATTERY SWITCH THEN STARTED THE AIRPLANE WITH BOTH MAGNETO SWITCHES IN THE OFF POSITION. THE PILOT DID NOT CHECK TO SEE IF BOTH MAGNETO SWITCHES WHERE IN THE ON POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE HOT MAGNETO TURNED OFF CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A RESTART BUT NEVER CHECKED THE MAGNETO SWITCHES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A FIELD A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.