Beechcraft 1900 N81538

Summary

On 6 June 1996 at about 18:24 local time, a Beechcraft 1900 registered N81538 was involved in an incident near Lansing, Michigan, United States. 18 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 1996 at 18:24

Classification

Incident

Location

Lansing, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft 1900

Registration

N81538

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96IA191

Nobody was injured.

the short in the windshield anti-ice low power braided copper lead wire caused a fire that had resulted from the manufacturer's inadequate design.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot-in-command reported smelling smoke during descent. Smoke was coming out of the bottom left corner of the first officer's windscreen. The first officer, using the portable halon fire extinguisher, extinguished a 6 to 8 inch flame that had erupted from behind the glareshield. The PIC completed the approach and landing. Examination of the windshield by the manufacturer indicated that the source of the excessive heat that caused the windshield and aircraft materials to smoke and ultimately burn, was determined to be arcing of a damaged low power braided copper lead wire. The examiner reported that, 'It is, however, our opinion that the damage was done to the braid wire during the windshield manufacturing process.' The origin of the fracture of the inboard glass ply was in the bottom center post corner area located near the low power terminal block. The examiner reported that, 'the glass fracture occurred as a result of the intensive heat due to electrical arcing of the severed low power lead wire.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.