Rockwell Commander 114 N314M

Summary

On 6 December 2002 at about 00:58 local time, a Rockwell Commander 114 registered N314M was involved in an accident near Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 2002 at 00:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.4536, -93.1222

Aircraft

Rockwell Commander 114

Registration

N314M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Little Rock

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN03FA023

1 person died.

the loss of engine power due to the failure of the engine ignition system's single-drive dual-magneto, and the magneto's improper installation by unknown maintenance personnel. Contributing factors were the improper installation of the magneto by unknown maintenance personnel, the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, and the dark night light condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on an instrument flight plan at night, with a destination of Little Rock, Arkansas. The pilot reported a loss of engine power, and he diverted into Hot Springs, Arkansas. The airplane impacted a brick house, approximately 6,000 feet short of the runway. The airplane engine ignition system's single-drive dual-magneto exhibited evidence of melted plastic on its four-lobe breaker cam. The cam itself exhibited "bluing" discoloration and was dry of lubrication. The internal damage to the magneto suggested that the breaker cam's shaft had been forcibly pushed into the magneto. Evaluation of the magneto housing revealed a 7/8-inch gouge, which matched the dimension of its hold-down clamp. The magneto had been removed during the airplane's last annual inspection for a normal maintenance inspection. The airplane had flown approximately 148 hours since its annual inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.