Beechcraft 58P N132Z

Summary

On 2 January 2002 at about 17:45 local time, a Beechcraft 58P registered N132Z was involved in an accident near Boise, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 January 2002 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Boise, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Boise Air Terminal (Gowen Fld) (BOI)

Coordinates

43.5597, -116.2103

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58P

Registration

N132Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boise → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02FA023

Nobody was injured.

Improper clearance between an alternator wire and a pneumatic line and fuel fumes. The alternator wire chafe and arcing were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff for an after maintenance test flight, the pilot noted a fire in the left engine. The pilot reduced power and landed the aircraft on the remaining runway without further incident. The engine and systems were shut down prior to the pilot and passenger evacuating the aircraft. Fire personnel responded and applied a small amount of foam on the engine, which was at the time, only smoking. Inspection of the engine revealed that the fire was contained to the accessory section of the engine. Heat distress was found to the outboard nacelle web assembly and the top wing skin under the nacelle was warped. Further inspection found that an electrical arc in the alternator wiring due to chafing against a pneumatic tube was responsible for the ignition of the fire. Accumulated fuel vapor from a fuel cell leak that was an on-going maintenance discrepancy for approximately three weeks preceding the accident, and eventually fixed, was most probable the source of the fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.