Service difficulty report · Impulse Coupling · Beech V35

Difficulty date
July 8, 2026
Submitted
August 9, 2026
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N231S
Make and model
Beech V35
Aircraft serial
D8058
Aircraft time
5,091 hours
Engine
Cont IO520BA
Engine time
3,790 hours
Propeller
Mcauly 2A36C23
Part
Impulse Coupling
Part number
M3050
Condition
Destroyed
Location
Mangeto
Part time
304 hours
Component
Mangeto · Kelly
Component part number
ES6310
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
Y
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

THE PILOT/OWNER ATTEMPTED TO START THE PLANE. AFTER THE FIRST FAILED START, THE PROPELLER STOPPED SPINNING DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPTED START. THE PILOT ABORTED THE START AND ALERTED ME TO A GRINDING SOUND. UPON INSPECTING THE ENGINE, THE LEFT MAGNETO HOUSING HAD CRACKED AND THE MAGNETO BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN REMOVING THE MAGNETO, THE IMPULSE COUPLING SPRING FLEW OUT OF THE CRANKCASE. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER SOME OF THE IMPULSE COUPLING BODY, AND THE SPRING, BUT THE CAM AND COUNTERWEIGHTS HAD FALLEN INTO THE CRANKCASE CAUSING DAMAGE. THE RETAINING NUT AND COTTER PIN WERE STILL INSTALLED, SO THE COUNTERWEIGHT BODY CRACKED AND FELL IN THE CASE DURING THE START PROCEDURE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SEND TO RAM AIRCRAFT LP IN WACO, TX FOR DISASSEMBLY AND ANALYSIS.

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