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A homebuilt kit aircraft on takeoff lost engine power at 200 ft, landed straight ahead with no damage. Caused by failed left magneto.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 619246 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200404 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Amateur (Home) Built |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 619246 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was unable to start aircraft. Maintenance check indicated failure of the ignition system. The lasar control box and both magnetos were sent to be repaired and returned. The repair facility on the field reinstalled and tested the system and approved it for flight. Preflight checks of the magnetos were normal and I elected to stay in the pattern for one circuit to make sure it operated normally throughout. After making a touch and go landing, I began my climb out to leave the pattern. At 200-300 ft, the engine lost power, back-fired, surged and lost power again. I decided to shut it down and land straight ahead. Touchdown and rollout on grass beyond the runway was uneventful with no damage. Maintenance check indicates that the lasar ignition tested normally, but at something greater than 2000 RPM, the left magneto started misfiring badly enough to cause loss of power. This only occurred on later testing and occasionally. It seemed to improve below 1700 RPM or on right magneto only, but I didn't have time to troubleshoot.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HOMEBUILT KIT ACFT ON TKOF LOST ENG PWR AT 200 FT, LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD WITH NO DAMAGE. CAUSED BY FAILED L MAGNETO.
Narrative: I WAS UNABLE TO START ACFT. MAINT CHK INDICATED FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SYS. THE LASAR CTL BOX AND BOTH MAGNETOS WERE SENT TO BE REPAIRED AND RETURNED. THE REPAIR FACILITY ON THE FIELD REINSTALLED AND TESTED THE SYS AND APPROVED IT FOR FLT. PREFLT CHKS OF THE MAGNETOS WERE NORMAL AND I ELECTED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN FOR ONE CIRCUIT TO MAKE SURE IT OPERATED NORMALLY THROUGHOUT. AFTER MAKING A TOUCH AND GO LNDG, I BEGAN MY CLBOUT TO LEAVE THE PATTERN. AT 200-300 FT, THE ENG LOST PWR, BACK-FIRED, SURGED AND LOST PWR AGAIN. I DECIDED TO SHUT IT DOWN AND LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT ON GRASS BEYOND THE RWY WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO DAMAGE. MAINT CHK INDICATES THAT THE LASAR IGNITION TESTED NORMALLY, BUT AT SOMETHING GREATER THAN 2000 RPM, THE L MAGNETO STARTED MISFIRING BADLY ENOUGH TO CAUSE LOSS OF PWR. THIS ONLY OCCURRED ON LATER TESTING AND OCCASIONALLY. IT SEEMED TO IMPROVE BELOW 1700 RPM OR ON R MAGNETO ONLY, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.