Piper PA-28RT-201 N8143B

Summary

On 2 July 2002 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 registered N8143B was involved in an accident near Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 July 2002 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lebanon, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Lebanon Muni (M54)

Coordinates

36.1950, -86.3164

Aircraft

Piper PA-28RT-201

Registration

N8143B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lebanon → Lebanon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL02FA137

2 people died.

The certified flight instructor attempted flight with known deficiencies in equipment, inoperative magneto, and subsequent lost engine power and collided with a transmission line while maneuvering for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the engine run-up, it was discovered the engine would quit on the right magneto, and the decision was made to continue the flight. During the take-off the rear seated passenger (commercial rated pilot) recalled the climb attitude of the airplane seemed normal. When the airplane was approximately two hundred feet above the trees he heard the CFI tell the private pilot to "watch the airspeed, and keep it straight". The CFI the flight controls and banked the airplane to the right. The passenger saw a barn and remembered the airplane colliding with a power line. The airplane was examined and it was discovered that the right magneto sparked sporadically when tested. The main advantages of the dual system are: increased safety, in case one magneto system fails, the engine may be operated on the other system until a landing can be made; and improved burning and combustion of the mixture, and consequently improved performance. Review of the pilot-operating handbook did not disclose procedures for operating the airplane with the magnetos switch in the both position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.