On January 17, 1997, a Piper PA-32-300 (registration N2816M) was involved in an aviation accident near Boca Raton, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Improper overhaul of the left magneto which resulted in a defect in the left magneto rotating magnet to go undetected which caused the magneto to stop rotating and break several teeth from engine crankshaft gears and disconnect the crankshaft drive gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft experienced an abrupt engine failure at 2,000 feet during climb. Attempts to restart failed, leading to a forced landing on a golf course where it collided with trees. Postcrash examination revealed a magneto defect.
Incident Overview
During the climb after takeoff, as the aircraft reached an altitude of 2,000 feet, the engine ceased operating abruptly. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, a forced landing was executed on a golf course. During the landing, the aircraft struck trees.
Examination Findings
A postcrash examination of the engine was conducted. The left magneto was found to be non-rotatable. The left crankshaft idler gear and crankshaft gear exhibited broken teeth due to overload, and the crankshaft gear had become loose. Inspection of the left magneto revealed that the rotating magnet had a defect that caused it to come into contact with the magneto case. The precise nature of the defect was not determined. The magneto had accumulated 2.3 flight hours since its last overhaul.