- Date
- April 22, 1984, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Quincy, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9218PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840422039959A
- Case key
- 24239
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt was unable to start the eng & obtained the service of a mechanic. The mechanic decided that the problem was in the ignition switch & disconnected the p-leads with the belief that this would make the mags continually 'hot.' However, with the p-leads disconnected, the mags should have been continually grounded by leaf spring connectors. Never-the-less, the eng started with the p-leads disconnected. After takeoff, with no mag check, the eng began to vibrate & misfire & the plt tried to return to the arpt. However, the eng lost all power & the gear collapsed during a forced landing, short of the rwy. An exam revealed that with the p-leads disconnected, the rgt leaf spring connector effectively grounded the rgt mag, but the left mag remaind ungrounded for a time. There was evidence of arcing between the left leaf spring connector & the magneto case. Also, the spark vibrator was found to be weak. No other preimpact mechanical problem was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9218P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4714
- Airframe hours
- 5,583
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William & Virginia Higgins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1983
- Departed
- 201 · Quincy, CA
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Airport
- 201 · Gansner Field, runway 24, 4,100 × 60 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 853 total · 628 in this make and model · 853 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.