# Incident 19951013037479I: Piper PA23250, Beckley, WV, October 13, 1995

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 13, 1995, 20:00 local time
- Place: Beckley, WV
- Airport: Raleigh County Memorial
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.7873° N, 81.1242° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RALEIGH COUNTY MEML (BKW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7873&lon=-81.1242&mi=10
- Aircraft: N65SC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N65SC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,767 total, 640 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO96IA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO96IA012) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951013037479I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: WHILE ENROUTE FROM YORK, PA TO BECKLEY, WV, PIPER AZTEC N65SC, PILOTED BY EDWARD DENCH, JR. EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE CHARLESTON APPROACH CONTROL. THE PILOT REPORTED SEEING A BRIGHT FLASH ON THE EXTREME RIGHT SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY FIRE AND SMOKE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES BY TURNING THE MASTER SWITCH OFF BUT ONLY AFTER IT HAD BURNED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND HAD DAMAGED AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL WIRING CIRCUITS. THE PILOT CHOSE TO CONTINUE ON TO BECKLEY AFTER RESTORING PARTIAL ELECTRICAL POWER AND WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT AN ILS APPROACH TO A SAFE LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OR ANY INJURIES TO HIMSELF OR THE THREE PASSENGERS. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS STILL UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION. SUBMISSION OF THIS REPORT CLOSES THIS INCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB BFO96IA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO96IA012), Oct 14, 1995: Piper PA-23 (N65SC), Beckley, WV, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: an in-flight fire (behind the right side of the instrument panel), which occurred for undetermined reason(s).

## Other reports on N65SC (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19990325020069I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990325020069I), Mar 25, 1999: Piper PA23250 (N65SC), Bellefonte, PA, Minor damage. On March 25, 1999, at 1915 hours, a Piper aztec, (PA-23-250), N65SC, registered to travel health, LLC, and operated by edward dench, crashed upon landing at…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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