- Date
- October 20, 1989, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Albertville, AL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N34080Cessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891020045079A
- Case key
- 8175
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly inspect the magneto during a recent annual inspection.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot experienced an engine failure in cruise flight, declared an emergency, and executed a forced landing during the landing roll the airplane struck a ditch. Subsequent examination revealed the magneto cam follower was worn and burned not allowing the points to open. A service bulletin to inspect the cam follower had not been accomplished.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34080
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0963
- Airframe hours
- 4,812
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Knoxville Flyers, Inc
- Registered owner
- Knoxville Flyers, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 16, 1988 · 262 hours before
- Departed
- TYS · Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,511 total · 312 in this make and model · 1,256 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANB, 26 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.