- Date
- July 10, 1992, 17:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Beaver City, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9627ZCallair A-9
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920710024849A
- Case key
- 15222
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 inadequate maintenance overhaul of the left magneto, and subsequent failure of the left magneto/ignition system which caused a complete loss of engine power.
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 was engaged in aerial application activities when the accident occurred. He stated he had just entered a climbing left turn to reverse direction at the end of a swath run when there was a total loss of engine power. He landed straight ahead in a terraced wheat field, and the airplane impacted a terrace. The pilot estimated he was about 50 feet above the ground when the power loss occurred. Post-accident investigation revealed the left magneto failed due to a jammed flyweight on the impulse coupling. The crankshaft drive gear then failed, and the engine lost power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9627Z
- Reported as
- Callair A-9
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1030
- Airframe hours
- 3,828
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Trail, John W & Hester A, doing business as Arapahoe Aerial Sprayers
- Registered owner
- Trail, John W & Hester A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1991 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- 37V · Arapahoe, NE
- Destination
- 37V
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,632 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 7,516 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.