Piper PA-32-300 accident near Boca Raton, Florida, January 17, 1997
On January 17, 1997 at about 11:54 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N2816M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boca Raton, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper overhaul of the left magneto which resulted in a defect in the left magneto rotating magnet to go undetected which caused the magneto to stop rotating and break several teeth from engine crankshaft gears and disconnect the crankshaft drive gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1997 · about 11:54 am local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N2816M · registry record · serial 32-7840056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing through 2,000 feet after takeoff the engine quit abruptly. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and a forced landing was made on a golf course where the aircraft collided with trees. Postcrash examination showed the left magneto would not rotate, the left crankshaft idler gear and crankshaft gear had teeth broken in overload, and the crankshaft gear had come loose. Examination of the left magneto showed the rotating magnet had a defect which caused it to make contact with the magneto case. The exact defect was not determine. The magneto had accumulated 2.3 flight hours since overhaul.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,523 hours in all; 3,523 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 3,523 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,097 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1996; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMP Pompano Beach FL at 11:50 am
- Destination: CRE N. Myrtle Beach SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from PBI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2816M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA97LA065.