- Date
- September 12, 1993, 18:35 local (23:35 UTC)
- Place
- Indianapolis, IN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5678RCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930912034469A
- Case key
- 9311
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, which resulted in a partial 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 said that after descending from an altitude of 4500 ft MSL to 2500 ft MSL, a partial loss of engine power occurred. During a forced landing in a field, the airplane was damaged. A post-accident examination revealed the left magneto was inoperative.
Factual narrative
On September 12, 1993, about 1835 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172F airplane, N5678R, experienced partial loss of engine power during cruise and landed off-airport near Fishers, Indiana. The private pilot and two passengers reported no injury. The airplane was substantially damaged in the forced landing. The flight originated about 1630 EST in Galion, Ohio, without a flight plan and operated in visual meteorological conditions under 14 CFR 91.
According to the pilot, after descending from an altitude of 4500 feet MSL to 2500 feet MSL, the airplane's right magneto failed. The pilot states the airplane then misfired on the left magneto. Not being able to maintain altitude due to low RPM, he performed emergency procedures and initiated a forced landing onto a field.
Postaccident investigation revealed the left magneto was inoperative.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5678R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles B. Porter
- Registered owner
- Charles B. Porter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MQQ · Galion, OH
- Destination
- I14 · IN
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 14 in this make and model · 70 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.