Pilot Debrief

BEECH 35-C33A near Indianola, MS — 2023-05-18

Final reportCEN23LA194
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Date
2023-05-18
Location
Indianola, MS, USA
Airport
IDL
Aircraft
BEECH 35-C33A
Registration
N63B
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that before the flight he completed an engine runup with no anomalies noted. After departure, when the airplane was about 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level, he smelled “burning plastic” and observed smoke from the engine compartment. He turned back toward the airport and was on the base leg of the traffic pattern when he observed flames coming through the firewall under the battery box area. He tried to kick out the flame, but the fire seemed to be coming from the engine side of the firewall. He turned off the electrical system and adjusted the mixture control to cut off the fuel. He performed a gear-up landing on the runway as the cabin filled with smoke. After the airplane came to rest and the pilot egressed, the fire consumed a majority of the fuselage before it was extinguished. The pilot recorded a video of the airplane that showed dark smoke in the cabin and heat discoloration below the front right windscreen, near the battery box. The postaccident examination was unable to determine the source of the fire due to the extensive fire damage.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after engine runup if anomalies were detected.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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