Piper PA-36-375 N2386X

Summary

On 16 July 2024 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-36-375 registered N2386X was involved in an accident near Avoca, Nebraska, 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

16 July 2024 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Avoca, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

40.8155, -96.0853

Aircraft

Piper PA-36-375

Registration

N2386X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1982

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elmwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA269

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to the loose left magneto which resulted in erratic engine timing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during an aerial application flight, the engine lost power and the airplane began to descend. He added full power and pushed the propeller control full forward, but did not feel the engine respond and the airplane continued to descend. After he dumped the hopper tank, he still was not able to stop the airplane’s descent, and the airplane touched down in the field and continued through a cattle fence, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination. There was a crack observed between the Nos. 1, 2, and 3 cylinders that was most likely the result of impact damage. Examination of the magnetos revealed that, while still attached to the engine, the left magneto could be rotated at its flange. Both magnetos were removed and spun by hand and both magnetos produced spark at their terminal leads. The right magneto made a “clunking” sound when rotated and rattled when shaken. Further examination revealed that the right magneto coil wedges were loose in the housing. The coil wedges appeared to have been initially wedged in place, but only exhibited minimal marring, and may not have been secured sufficiently. That the left magneto was found loose and could be rotated at its flange, it’s likely it was out of time. Although the right magneto coil wedges were loose in the housing, it is more likely the left magneto firing at the wrong time would have had the most significant impact on the engine only being able to produce partial power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.