Rockwell COMMANDER 114 accident near Atwater, California, September 26, 1998
On September 26, 1998 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Rockwell COMMANDER 114, registered N114AL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atwater, California (Castle Air Force Base airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An internal capacitor failure and melting of the point cam followers, which resulted in failure of both magnetos, and subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1998 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Atwater, California · Castle Air Force Base · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell COMMANDER 114 COMMANDER
- Registration
- N114AL · registry record · serial 14023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine sputtered then quit as the pilot was initiating a turn to base. He landed hard on the runway and severed the right main landing gear. The aircraft continued forward on the runway, then impacted a runway light and veered off into a grassy area. An FAA inspector examined the engine and noted no external damage. The aircraft was equipped with a dual cased single-drive magneto and the maintenance records indicated that a 500-hour inspection had been performed on the magneto on June 13, 1998. The mechanic reported that he checked all the points for evidence of arcing and found none. He stated that he ran the magneto on a test bench and it ran normally. Postaccident examination of the magneto revealed that the right points did not open and the left points would close intermittently. It was further noted that the cam followers for both sides of the magneto were melted. Neither capacitor passed the insulation resistance test at 400 VDC. The magneto was test run with the original harness and capacitors attached. Both sides of the magneto generated sparks at 500 and 1,000 rpm. A 150-watt lamp was set up next to the magneto to simulate engine heat. The magneto was then run at a speed approximating cruise speed. After 5 minutes, the right magneto ceased to generate sparks. The left magneto generated sparks for the duration of the test. The pilot reported that he performed two magneto checks prior to takeoff, with no noted discrepancies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,034 hours in all; 1,219 in this make and model; 1,915 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,882 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA at 6:20 pm
- Destination: MER
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 11,802 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MCE, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.