'Smell' Preceded Flames

NTSB Identification: ERA10LA210
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, April 05, 2010 in Pittsburgh, PA
Aircraft: BEECH 35-A33, registration: N156J
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On April 5, 2010, at 1233 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Beech 35-A33, N156J, was substantially damaged after catching fire immediately following a low speed rejected takeoff at Allegheny County Airport (AGC), Pittsburgh, PA. The private pilot/owner and certificated flight instructor (CFI), were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

In an interview with the Safety Board the private pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was for an insurance required proficiency check that mandated 10 hours of total flight time in aircraft make and model. He further stated that his check pilot had flown the airplane earlier in the day and had preformed two takeoff and landings. After the airplane had returned both pilots had went to lunch together and upon their return they preformed a preflight of the airplane, started the engines, received their automated terminal information system (ATIS), and then called ground for taxi clearance. After performing the pre-takeoff checklist in the run-up area for runway 28, the pilot detected a smell but could not confirm what he had smelled. After clearance for takeoff was received from the air traffic control tower and takeoff power was applied the pilot smelled and visually confirmed smoke coming from the instrument panel area. He immediately aborted the takeoff at a speed no greater than 20 knots and exited the runway at taxiway A5. After shutting off the master and alternator switches the smoke continued to emanate from the instrument panel; they shut down the engine and exited the airplane onto the taxiway. They attempted to extinguish the fire with a hand held fire extinguisher that was in the arriving first response vehicle; however, the check pilot observed the exterior paint located on the left side of the airplane, near the area between the instrument panel and firewall, began to blister. The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting extinguished the fire within a few moments of their arrival; however, the airplane cabin area had been consumed by fire.

The pilot also stated that the airplane was owned by the Pittsburg Institute of Aeronautics, and that the college had purchased the airplane approximately six months prior to the accident. The airplane logbooks had been lost prior to their purchase of the airplane and the college had attempted to reconstruct the logbooks. They had completed all of the required annual inspections on the airplane. He also stated that they had not done any work on the avionics or wiring of the airplane since they purchased the airplane.

File Photo

According to the pilot and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records he held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical was issued on May 11, 2009 and at the time of the accident he had accrued 387 total hours of flight experience and no hours in the accident airplane make and model.

According to FAA records the CFI held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, glider, and lighter-than-air free balloon, and a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single-, multi-engine, instrument airplane, and glider. His most recent FAA second-class medical was issued in April, 2009 and at that time he reported 25,000 total hours of flight experience.

The airplane was a Beech 35-A33 manufactured in 1961. It was equipped with a Continental Motors IO-470-J series engine and a Hartzell propeller. It was a high performance, all-metal, low-wing, single-engine cantilever monoplane with fully retractable tricycle landing gear.

The 1253 recorded weather observation at AGC, included winds from 250 degrees at 10 knots with gust of 25 knots, broken clouds at 4,900 feet and 6,000 feet above ground level, 10 miles visibility, temperature 23 degrees C, dew point 12 C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.

The airport was served by an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at the time of the accident. It also had two crossing runways designated 10/28 and 13/31. The accident flight was departing off of runway 28 which was a 6,501-foot-long and 150-foot-wide concrete runway. Taxiway A5 was located approximately 334 feet from the beginning of the accident flight takeoff roll.

The airplane aft of the firewall including the cabin area and roof structure was consumed by fire. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA discovered that the source of the fire began on the left side of the instrument panel in the vicinity of the communication radios, circuit breaker, and electrical bus bar.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov