Aeronca 7AC N1659E

Summary

On 10 March 1998 at about 17:00 local time, a Aeronca 7AC registered N1659E, operated by Peter A. Polin, was involved in an accident near Lone Pine, California, United States. 2 people were 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

10 March 1998 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lone Pine, California, United States

Coordinates

36.5599, -118.0497

Aircraft

Aeronca 7AC

Registration

N1659E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Peter A. Polin

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Fresno

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA111

Nobody was injured.

The failure of maintenance personnel to properly tighten the magneto clamps during installation of the engine on the aircraft following engine overhaul.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that as the aircraft climbed through about 3,000 feet agl the engine began to misfire, then lost almost all power. Following an unsuccessful attempt to restore normal engine power, the pilot set up for a glide toward an abandoned airfield. With insufficient altitude to make the airfield, the pilot landed in a pasture and collided with bushes and hidden obstacles in the grass. Both magnetos were found loose in their clamps by technicians from an aircraft recovery firm who retrieved the wreckage. Logbook review disclosed that the engine had accumulated 67 hours since a major overhaul, which was accomplished May 1, 1997. This was the last maintenance recorded in the logbooks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.