On October 15, 1995, a Luscombe 8E (registration N71590) operated by Randy E. Lee was involved in an aviation accident near Picayune, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: a worn left magneto distributor gear, which resulted in a loss of engine power; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An ear witness heard an aircraft crash shortly after departure from runway 23. The airplane was found 125 yards southwest of the departure end. Postaccident examination revealed the left magneto distributor rotor gear had about 50 percent of its teeth sheared off.
Overview
An ear witness reported hearing an aircraft crash shortly after it departed from runway 23. The wreckage was located approximately 125 yards southwest of the departure end of runway 23. Examination of the accident site indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a right wing down and nose down attitude.
Postaccident Examination
During a postaccident examination and disassembly of the engine, the left magneto was found to be damaged. Specifically, about 50 percent of the gear teeth were sheared off of the left magneto distributor rotor gear. No other mechanical anomalies were reported in the source.