Summary
On August 10, 1995, a Cessna 188T (N731DB) was involved in an incident near Town Creek, AL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The chafing of the fuel flow gage pressure line with an electrical system wire which resulted in arcing.
On August 10, 1995, at 0930 central daylight time, a Cessna 188T, N731DB, experienced an inflight fire while enroute to spray a field near Town Creek, Alabama. The aerial application flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot landed the airplane without further incident, and he was not injured. The airplane burned and was destroyed. The flight departed a private airstrip in Town Creek, Alabama, at 0928 hours.
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from the staging airstrip, he noticed a loud noise inside the cockpit followed by the smell of smoke. He executed a turn toward the airstrip for an emergency landing.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ATL95LA151. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N731DB.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The chafing of the fuel flow gage pressure line with an electrical system wire which resulted in arcing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On August 10, 1995, at 0930 central daylight time, a Cessna 188T, N731DB, experienced an inflight fire while enroute to spray a field near Town Creek, Alabama. The aerial application flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot landed the airplane without further incident, and he was not injured. The airplane burned and was destroyed. The flight departed a private airstrip in Town Creek, Alabama, at 0928 hours.
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from the staging airstrip, he noticed a loud noise inside the cockpit followed by the smell of smoke. He executed a turn toward the airstrip for an emergency landing. As the pilot maneuvered the airplane for the landing, he observed flames coming from the instrument panel. The pilot landed on the airstrip, and exited the burning airplane.
Examination of the aircraft disclosed that the cockpit and center sections were fire damaged. An examination of the instrument panel revealed that the fuel flow meter was connected to a wet fuel line behind the instrument panel. Several fire damaged electrical wires were located in the immediate vicinity of the wet fuel line. The entire area behind the instrument panel was fire damaged, and the fitting that connected the wet fuel line to the fuel flow meter was burnt.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL95LA151