The flight departed Runway 13 at David Jay Perry Airport (1K4) in Goldsby, Oklahoma. About 10 seconds after the pilot rotated the Vans RV-6A, the engine made loud popping and banging sounds and experienced a reduction in engine power.
He maneuvered the airplane to land on Runway 13 in a “tight” left traffic pattern.
During the landing, the left wing hit the runway and the airplane landed hard.
The pilot lost control of the plane as it departed the runway and rolled inverted.
Substantial damage was sustained to the left wing, fuselage, and the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.
A post-accident examination of the engine found that it was equipped with a Champion Slick impulse magneto that sparked the lower bank of aviation spark plugs and an electronic ignition system that sparked the upper bank of automotive spark plugs.
The No. 1 electronic ignition lead was loose and detached from the ignition coil.
Additionally, the ignition coil package mount bolt was loose, which would have allowed the grouping to vibrate during engine operation.
Probable Cause: The engine electronic ignition system became disconnected, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
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This April 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Sam Parsons’ reply was the best with the Pilot in Command perspective! The other replies were perfect from the maintenance perspective However, once the tires break contact with the ground, Pilotage is Paramount!
Amazing learning opportunities in this one, for everyone!
Our mag checks confirm that we lose only a small fraction of our rpm with one mag totally off. So why didn’t he have sufficient power to fly a normal pattern? Once at altitude and in the pattern he could have checked his mags and found the popping went away when on the good mag alone. I think the adage to “Wind the Watch” would have helped this pilot see that he was still climbing despite the noise.
He flew the plane ok around the pattern with the #1 plug wire off the top plug.!
The ‘popping’ distraction had him being unstable on landing…maybe stalled and dropped the left wing and then landed hard.
There should be a way to ‘safety’ the spark plug boots to the coils. ?
It’s possible that the loose coil mounting bolts were the coil grounds,,,adding to the misfiring ?
Whatever the cause, this is a case of lax attention to maintenance. On my car engine when I change the oil I yank on vacuum hoses and electrical connections to see what’s loose and tighten everything. What’s this owner’s excuse for not following this basic life- and airplane-saving procedure? Could have been much more deadly for the pilot and folks on the ground. Up go the insurance rates. Alas.
Regards/J