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The Man Who Saved the Iconic Hartzell Propeller Company

Memories of the manufacturer revolve around a wonderful man, the late Jim Brown.

It’s difficult to describe how much the late Jim Brown loved the Hartzell Propeller Company and its people. [Stephen Yeates]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A fatal accident underscored the danger of worn aircraft ignition switches that fail to properly ground magnetos, allowing unexpected propeller activation even after shutdown.
  • Pilots are advised to perform a brief magneto check (off then back to both) before shutdown and test if the key can be removed in any switch position to confirm proper grounding and switch integrity.
  • The article also pays tribute to Jim Brown, the former owner of Hartzell Propeller Company, celebrating his leadership, dedication to his employees, and passion for aviation before the company's eventual sale.
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Do you remember briefly turning the magneto switch to the “off” position and back to “both” before shutting down with the mixture control? I guess I knew why sometime in the past, but truthfully I’d forgotten about it. And I can’t remember testing any applicants, in years as an examiner, who did it.

But recently I read a National Transportation Safety Board report about a fatal accident involving a 42-year-old Cessna 182 parked on a ramp in Cleveland, Tennessee. What happened is important, I think, because so many of us fly elderly GA airplanes with key-style ignition switches that may be faulty and not know it.

Martha Lunken

Martha Lunken is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector and defrocked pilot examiner. She flies a Cessna 180 and anything with a tailwheel, from Cubs to DC-3s.

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