- Date
- August 13, 1991, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Roxobel, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7658ZPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910813033739A
- Case key
- 8455
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 the left magneto stop pin, resulting in the seizure of the magneto and the failure of the magneto drive gear, and ultimately engine stoppage. A factor in this accident was: the presence of trees at the forced landing area.
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 ag pilot was setting up for aerial application pass when the engine quit suddenly. Unable to glide to a cleared area, he force landed in a wooded area. The engine was examined following the accident. The investigation revealed that an impulse coupling stop pin from the left magneto had failed. The magneto subsequently jammed, and the teeth of the magneto drive gear in the engine were sheared off. This rendered both magnetos inoperative, resulting in the engine stoppage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7658Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-3800
- Airframe hours
- 5,349
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Newsome, John S & Katherine A
- Registered owner
- Newsome, John S & Katherine A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1990 · 153 hours before
- Departed
- ASJ · Ahoskie, NC
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,017 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RWI, 38 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.