19960511021869I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Lexington, NE · May 11, 1996

Date: May 11, 1996 · 20:40 local
Place: Lexington, NE
Airport: Lexington Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N738RC
Reported as: Cessna 172N
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N738RCRegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17270170 · Built 1977 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: the aircraft departed alliance, Nebraska airport approximately 1930 MDT enroute to lincoln, Nebraska. About 10 to 15 minutes after leveling off at cruise altitude, 9500 feet, a burning smell was detected. Smoke was observed coming from the upper left hand corner of the instrument panel. Power was turned off and the smoke quit. With all other switches in the off position the master switch was turned on, smoke again rose from the panel, the master switch was turned off. The pilot decided to divert to north platte, Nebraska. Upon approaching the airport there appeared to be traffic in the area so the pilot continued on to Lexington, Nebraska a less used airport, where an uneventful landing was made. Mechanics inspected the aircraft and found the resistor part number 829525-6 on the back of the left fuel gauge was burned. A new fuel gauge, resistor and sending unit were installed in the aircraft. This incident is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 1930 MDT ENROUTE TO LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES AFTER LEVELING OFF AT CRUISE ALTITUDE, 9500 FEET, A BURNING SMELL WAS DETECTED. SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. POWER WAS TURNED OFF AND THE SMOKE QUIT. WITH ALL OTHER SWITCHES IN THE OFF POSITION THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, SMOKE AGAIN ROSE FROM THE PANEL, THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. THE PILOT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. UPON APPROACHING THE AIRPORT THERE APPEARED TO BE TRAFFIC IN THE AREA SO THE PILOT CONTINUED ON TO LEXINGTON, NEBRASKA A LESS USED AIRPORT, WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. MECHANICS INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE RESISTOR PART NUMBER 829525-6 ON THE BACK OF THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS BURNED. A NEW FUEL GAUGE, RESISTOR AND SENDING UNIT WERE INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.