- Date
- August 7, 1995, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spring Hill, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N67597Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950807022309A
- Case key
- 37810
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 pilot's premature decision to perform a precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was partial loss of engine power due to failure of one of the two magnetos.
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 stated that during cruise flight, the engine RPM decreased. He immediately performed a precautionary landing in a field and during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed that the right magneto was inoperative. Examination of the failed magneto revealed that the condenser lead wire was failed at the condenser.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 1995, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N67597, registered to and operated by Seven Eagles, Inc., was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Spring Hill, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1430, from the Tampa Bay Executive Airport, Odessa, Florida.
The pilot stated that after departure he flew to a nearby airport and performed four touch-and-go landings then circled another airport. While returning to the departure airport during cruise flight at 1,200 feet, the engine rpm decreased. He immediately initiated a descent and landed in a pasture. During the landing roll the airplane nosed over.
The airplane was recovered and the engine which remained secured to the airframe, was started. According to a FAA certificated A & P mechanic, the engine failed when operating only on the right magneto. The right magneto was removed for examination which revealed that the condenser lead was failed at the condenser.
Review of the engine logbook revealed that the magneto which had been overhauled was installed on the engine on August 23, 1988.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67597
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281938
- Airframe hours
- 6,426
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Seven Eagles, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 1995 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- X05 · Brooksville, FL
- Destination
- X41 · Odessa, FL
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
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- X41, 9 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.