Cessna 210 N7337E

Summary

On 23 February 2008 at about 22:40 local time, a Cessna 210 registered N7337E was involved in an accident near Willcox, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 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

23 February 2008 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Willcox, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Cochise County Airport (P33)

Coordinates

32.2453, -109.8944

Aircraft

Cessna 210

Registration

N7337E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Willcox

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA064

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power while on final approach due to multiple grounding faults in the ignition system as a result of poor ignition system maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot and passenger departed on the cross-country flight with both wing fuel tanks about 3/4 full. During the pilot's first attempt to land, the airplane was too high and he decided to perform a go-around. On his second attempt, the airplane was configured on final approach with the flaps fully extended and the landing gear down. As the airplane was approaching the runway at an altitude of 400 feet above ground level (agl), the engine experienced a loss of power. The airplane touched down short of the runway and the right wing collided with a small tree during the landing roll. An engine examination revealed that the spark plugs were heavily sooted, indicative of a rich mixture. Mechanical continuity was verified with rotation of the crankshaft. The ignition harnesses and the P-leads exhibited excessively worn insulation and shielding. Following an unsuccessful attempt to run the engine, both P-leads were found to be broken at a pass through hole in the engine baffling. The broken P-leads were spliced together and a second attempt to start the engine was made; the engine started and ran roughly at low power settings, smoothing out at higher ranges, though still notably rough. A magneto check revealed that the left magneto was not functioning. Troubleshooting the wiring revealed that only intermittent continuity could be established in the wiring between the ignition switch and the magnetos, resulting in intermittent grounding.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.