What happened
On July 8, 2015, a Cessna 172 was taxiing at the Chełm-Depułtycze Królewskie airport (EPCD) after completing a flight. Upon exiting runway 19L, the engine shut down unexpectedly. The pilot attempted to restart the engine twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful. Following the incident, the aircraft was pushed into a hangar. Notably, this was the final flight performed before the aircraft was scheduled for its 500-hour maintenance inspection.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on determining why the engine failed during taxiing and why it could not be restarted. During the subsequent 500-hour maintenance inspection, which involves mandatory component replacements and inspections according to the manufacturer's instructions, investigators examined the engine and its ignition system. The investigation noted that the engine started without difficulty the following day, prior to the commencement of the scheduled maintenance work. The investigators also evaluated the condition of the magnetos as part of the inspection process.
Findings
Investigators were unable to identify a specific cause for the engine shutdown that occurred during taxiing. However, they determined that the technical condition of the magnetos was the most probable reason for the inability to restart the engine while it was hot. The investigation concluded that difficulties restarting a hot engine can occur when magnetos are nearing the end of their service life before a scheduled inspection.