Piper PA-31P-135 N222SA

Summary

On 28 May 1982 at about 20:15 local time, a Piper PA-31P-135 registered N222SA, operated by Z-Rider Aviation, Inc., was involved in an incident near Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. 7 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

28 May 1982 at 20:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-31P-135

Registration

N222SA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Z-Rider Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lafayette → Houston

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW82IA209

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CRUISING AT FL200 IN VMC CONDITIONS, THE PILOT SMELLED AND THEN OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTERS AND UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE ADVISED HOUSTON CENTER OF HIS SITUATION, THEN TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL DESCENT AND LANDING AT LAKE CHARLES, LA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE THREE RESISTORS IN THE CIGAR LIGHTER RESISTOR ASSEMBLY HAD OVERHEATED AND BURNED THROUGH THE PHENOLIC BACKING ON WHICH IT WAS MOUNTED. AFTER BURNING THE BACKING, THE HEAT BURNED ABOUT 2 FEET OF BLACK RUBBER VACUUM TUBING. RESEARCH REVEALED THAT PIPER HAD ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) #654 ON THIS PART. THE SB CALLED FOR THE REMOVAL OF THESE ASSEMBLIES FROM ALL PA-31, 31-325 AND 31-350 AIRCRAFT AFTER A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN JUNE OF 1980. THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND SUBSEQUENT AD 79/20/07 DID NOT ADDRESS THE SAME RESISTORS INSTALLED IN PA-31P AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.