Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ebensburg, Pennsylvania 15931
Monday, October 10, 1994 11:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING TAKEOFF CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BUT THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE STATED HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A CLEARING BELOW THE FLIGHT PATH. AFTER TOUCH DOWN, THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING IMPACTED A TREE AND THE AIRPLANE SPUN RIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH AN EMBANKMENT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE RIGHT MAGNETO'S NYLON GEAR ON THE ROTATING MAGNET HAD FAILED. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER HELD ABOUT 10 POUNDS OF COMPRESSION. THE CYLINDER WAS DISMANTLED AND THE VALVES AND SEATS WERE BURNED AND ERODED. THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER PRIMER LINE WAS BROKEN. AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE HAD A FULL FUEL LOAD, 2 PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE, AND CARGO ON BOARD. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 235 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL AND 77 HOURS SINCE ITS LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 3,389 HOURS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE LOSS OF PARTIAL ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT MAGNETO'S NYLON GEAR ON THE ROTATING MAGNET AND THE LOW COMPRESSION IN THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/10/1994
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1115
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City EBENSBURG
Event State PENNSYLVANIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 15931
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1045 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 190
Weather Observation Facility ID JST
Elevation of weather observation facility 2284
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 5000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1400
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 340
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2052
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 10 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1310
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 12:25PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8908J
NTSB Number BFO95LA003
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-180
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-180
Aircraft Serial Number 28-2887
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 22 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 77
Airframe Hours 3389
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM A. & GARY T. MORSE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 112 SKYLINE ROAD
Aircraft Owner City GEORGETOWN
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 78628
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WILLIAM A. & GARY T. MORSE
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 112 SKYLINE ROAD
Operator City GEORGETOWN
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 78628
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LEX
Destination City LEXINGTON
Destination State KY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --