Cessna 172 N2797E

Summary

On 18 June 2021 at about 22:32 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N2797E, operated by Aamro Aviation, was involved in an accident near Jupiter, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

18 June 2021 at 22:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Jupiter, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.9675, -80.1547

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N2797E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Aamro Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA261

1 person was seriously injured.

The flight instructor’s failure to obtain the proper touchdown point during a forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the improper service and subsequent inadequate inspection of the single-drive, dual magneto, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a local instructional flight, about 2,700 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The instructor was unable to restart the engine and attempted to land on a grass field; however, the airplane overflew the field and collided with a fence and trees before coming to rest nose-down in a creek. Review of flight track data revealed that the airplane overflew several fields, ranging in length from approximately 1,500 ft to 2,500 ft before the collision. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the single-drive, dual output magneto had separated from the rear accessory section of the engine. The nuts, clamps, and lock washers that secured the magneto to the studs were not recovered and the studs did not exhibit any stripping or damage of the threads. Cuts in the magneto housing were consistent with the magneto vibrating over time, possibly due to tightening at an angle between the two studs. The magneto was removed and reinstalled as part of an inspection completed about 3 months (215 hours) before the accident. The mechanic who completed the inspection and reinstalled the magneto stated that the reinstallation included clamps and nuts that were used, but serviceable, and new lock washers. The mechanic added that there were no defects noted at the time of the inspection. An annual inspection of the airplane was completed about 1 month (74 flight hours) before the accident. The mechanic that completed the annual inspection stated he followed the Code of Federal Regulations Part 43 checklist, which does not specifically include magnetos; however, he checked with his hand (by trying to wiggle all the accessories) that the magneto was secure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.