fullest tank selected”). The availability of
investigation resources is also an issue.
For production aircraft, the NTSB can
usually count on the participation of an
engine manufacturer, but this assistance
is less likely when a non-certified engine
is involved.
Referring to Figure 4 again, compare
the results for “Electronic Ignition”
versus “Magneto.” Almost half of the
total aircraft involved in accidents ( 48
percent) had traditional engines, and
most of them probably had traditional
magnetos. Yet almost twice as many
accidents were caused by failures of
electronic ignition versus those old-fashioned magnetos.
Most of the electronic ignition accidents are due to issues outside the “box”
itself—components exposed to heat, wires
chafing, generator problems, etc. While
magneto systems also have reliability
problems, they’re simpler to install, they
use off-the-shelf components proven in
the aviation environment, and they aren’t
affected by faults in the aircraft’s electrical system. The basic fact is that two
magnetos are usually more reliable than a
single electronic system.
FATAL ACCIDENTS
While every accident is important,
fatal accidents catch the most attention—
and are more likely to lead to FAA
policy changes.
While the reduction in accidents in
2010 also led to a reduced number of fatal
accidents, the percentage of fatal ac-
cidents versus all accidents rose signifi-
cantly. About 33 percent of homebuilt
accidents included at least one fatality
in 2010 versus an average of 28 percent
during the previous four years.
