Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Colombia Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Columbia, Missouri 65205
Friday, June 23, 1995 15:10 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A MUFFLED EXPLOSION FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ENGINE QUIT AND FLAMES STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE CABIN BEGAN FILLING WITH SMOKE, AND OIL BEGAN SPEWING ONTO THE WINDSCREEN. THE PILOT SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED PROCEDURES FOR IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE THEN MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. HOWEVER, BEFORE LANDING, THE PILOT DELAYED GEAR EXTENSION, SO THAT HE COULD REMAIN CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND REACH A SUITABLE LANDING AREA. THE GEAR DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BE FULLY EXTENDED, AND IT COLLAPSED ON TOUCHDOWN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE DUAL MAGNETO HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE BOTTOM MAGNETO HOLD DOWN CLIP WAS FOUND IN THE COWLING, BUT NEITHER THE LOCKWASHER OR NUT WERE RECOVERED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE MAGNETO HOUSING REVEALED TWO LONGITUDINAL MARKINGS (CHIPPED PAINT). THE BOTTOM CLIP HAD A SPACING WHICH MATCHED THE CHIPPED PAINT ON THE MAGNETO HOUSING, AS IF THE CLIP HAD MOVED LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING. AN EXAMINATION OF THE TOP MAGNETO HOUSING FLANGE, WHICH HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MAGNETO, REVEALED FRACTURE SURFACE MARKINGS INDICATIVE OF FATIGUE CRACKING BEFORE THE ONSET OF OVERSTRESS SEPARATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A LOOSE (OR MISSING) NUT AND CLIP FOR THE BOTTOM MAGNETO STUD, DUE TO INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, AND FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE MAGNETO HOUSING FLANGE, WHICH RESTULTED IN AN OIL LEAK, ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, AND A FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE NECESSITY FOR THE PILOT TO DELAY EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR, SO THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD CLEAR OBSTRUCTIONS AND REACH A FAVORABLE LANDING AREA.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/23/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1510 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | COLUMBIA |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65205 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | COLOMBIA REGIONAL AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | COU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 25 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1519 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 205 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 889 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1368 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 23 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2328 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N39620 |
| NTSB Number | CHI95LA196 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7887123 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 15 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 46 |
| Airframe Hours | 1766 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD A. KUEHN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1605 ELM CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHELDON |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 51201 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | IOW |
| Departure City | IOWA CITY |
| Departure State | IA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PLK |
| Destination City | POINT LOOKOUT |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |