NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX96FA097
Registry · N2476Y
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2005
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20060111
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A24D41
Registrant of record
AMERICAN AVIATION INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
a total loss of engine power from an improperly installed magneto that separated from the engine housing due to fatigue from vibration.
Factual narrative
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On January 19, 1996, at 1720 hours Pacific standard time, the pilot of a Piper PA-28-236, N2476Y, experienced a loss of engine power during a cruise flight near Seal Beach, California. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot was not injured and his two passengers received minor injuries. The aircraft departed John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, at 1700 for a local pleasure flight. The pilot stated that he was cruising at 2,000 feet above the water at an indicated airspeed of 125 knots when the engine suddenly stopped with no warning. The engine gauges were indicating normal prior to the power loss. The pilot attempted to restart the engine twice with no success. When he realized he wasn't going to make landfall, he ditched the aircraft in the water about 200 yards offshore at Seal Beach. The occupants got out of the aircraft and swam to the shore after it sank.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The aircraft was operated and maintained by a local flying club at the John Wayne Airport. The last inspection was completed in June, 1996. During this time, the magneto was overhauled and reinstalled on the aircraft by a local mechanic. According to the FAA, the mechanic did not have an inspection authorization certificate.
WRECKAGE
The aircraft sank in 27 feet of water as measured by a pneumofathometer. The aircraft was found intact lying on the bottom in an inverted position and was partially submerged in the ocean silt. The aircraft was recovered intact on January 22, 1996, washed with fresh water, and brought to shore at San Pedro, CA. An examination of the aircraft revealed an oil stain on the inside of the engine cowling that proceeded back along the underside of the aircraft to the empennage. Afterwards, the aircraft was taken to a facility in Compton, California, for a more detailed examination. Examination of the engine revealed that the magneto housing had separated from the accessory case at the mounting flange with oil residue present in the area. The magneto and the mounting flange were sent to the Board's metallurgical laboratory in Washington, D.C., for examination.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The separated pieces of the magneto housing were cleaned ultrasonically in acetone and examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). According to the metallurgist, the SEM examination disclosed no discernible fracture features on the upper surface. However, the SEM examination of the lower piece revealed fatigue striations in fracture areas with lesser amounts of corrosion. Due to extensive corrosion, the exact extent of the fatigue cracking was not determined. Examination of the lower lug with the aid of a low power binocular microscope revealed evidence of wear on the contact surface. The amount of wear on the contact surface of the upper lug was significantly less.
ADDITIONAL DATA
The aircraft was verbally released 1/23/96 to Mr. Daniel Heersema of Associated Aviation Underwriters of Universal City, California. The magneto was returned to Mr. Heersema on September 30, 1996. The engine suddenly quit during cruise flight and, unable to reach land, the pilot ditched in the ocean. After recovery, oil streaks were observed inside the engine cowling that proceeded back along the underside of the aircraft to the empennage. Also noted was a separation of the magneto housing from the accessory case and an oil residue. Examination of the housing revealed the presence of wear on the contact surfaces of the hold down lugs that suggests both lugs were loose prior to the accident. The looseness of the lugs would allow the magneto to vibrate, resulting in fatigue cracking through the mounting flange. The magneto was recently installed on the aircraft at the last inspection and the mechanic who performed the work did not have an inspection authorization. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1996_LAX96FA097.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
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Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
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- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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