Waco QCF N11478

Summary

On 14 August 2004 at about 19:40 local time, a Waco QCF registered N11478 was involved in an accident near Rhinebeck, New York, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 August 2004 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Rhinebeck, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Old Rhinebeck (NY94)

Coordinates

41.9714, -73.8628

Aircraft

Waco QCF

Registration

N11478

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rhinebeck → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC04LA192

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to a magneto failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane experienced a partial loss of engine power, and the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to the grass at the runway overrun. During the landing, the airplane's lower left wing, propeller and left wing were damaged. The pilot reported that the airplane was fueled, and then flew normally for about 25 minutes earlier on the day of the accident. On scene examination of the engine, which included an inspection of intake, exhaust, and fuel system, did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. A subsequent teardown of the engine did not reveal any catastrophic failures; however, a mechanic reported that bench testing of the magnetos revealed that they both contained open secondary windings. During an interview, the mechanic further stated that the problem with the magnetos was not apparent until they were heated to a temperature of about 130 degrees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.