It's not like the other crash audios that have been going around recently.
Time it started??
That did seem odd to see the remnants of the tail stuck up in the tree while the rest of the airplane was on the road thoroughly burned. Didn't seem like the kid of tree that could rip a PA32 in half.
The one in Virginia messed with me for some reason. Had he not been flying in the mountains at night he could’ve made any of the hundred fields in the area, but I imagine all he saw was pitch black and flew into terrain. One of the reasons I try and avoid night flying, even though it’s my favorite time to fly. RIP
how does the magneto drive cushion end up in the oil system?
Yes. From a regulatory point his certificate could be revoked depending on the level of violation, but from the civil tort side the sky is the limit. However, until more info is released in the public docket no telling what the failure mechanism was, how much time it was flown since the annual on Oct 12th, etc. Even the effects of the noted cylinder rust is unknown without more context, pics, etc.
but they mention that the items in the screen were from the magneto drive cushion. i don't understand how that ends up in the oil system
Not necessarily. Doubt every engine is getting borescoped every annual. And even then a little light surface rust doesn't necessarily mean the engine is gonna quit. Pitting...now that's another story. But it does tell a story. But that story was told when it's averaged 10 hours a year the last decade.
Is the magneto drive cushion on that engine in the oily part of the engine? If so, bits can get into the pan. If not, there's another can of worms.
No stupid questions. But no its not something that is usually addressed at the annual. With the right conditions any engine will rust in a week if not flown. As mentioned above it also depends on the extent of the rust which is not known, but since there was no mention of rust in other areas it maybe simply a preliminary observation during the initial teardown.
There are some magneto drive designs that could allow those rubbers to drop into the accessory case if not careful. It happens. Lycoming came out with a mod that secured the rubbers to the drive adapter so to minimize this problem.
I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone call a PA32 fast.
The T tail one i flew was fast vertically when you pulled the powered back. That thing was a brickI think that's the first time I've ever heard someone call a PA32 fast.
