When the Magneto Makes a Crack-Boom-Whoosh...

It was meant to be a training flight in preparation for the HOP Tour, but it turned into a practical example of a malfunction! As part of my application process for the tour, I need to complete three hours of flight time with an instructor. Today’s schedule included stall practice, turns at high and medium inclincations, slow-speed flight, and power recovery maneuvers – essentially, a refresher on my PPL requirements.

I was waiting for the return of the DR400 from its previous flight. Once the aircraft landed and its logbook was returned, we boarded with my instructor, Michel, and myself. The engine started without issue, despite the heat; we made a radio call to the tower and taxied to the holding point. We ran the engines at 2000 RPM, and then I switched on the left magneto – that’s when things went wrong! The engine lost power, so I tried switching both magnetos back on, and the engine returned to its normal operating speed. Michel tried it next. The verdict was clear: we needed to return to the parking area; the left magneto was out of service. We immediately notified the head mechanic and the club, and brought the DR400 back to the maintenance workshop.

Lessons from this “Near” Flight

The thorough checks and procedures of aviation allowed us to safely detect this magneto malfunction.