# Incident 19960511021869I: Cessna 172N, Lexington, NE, May 11, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 11, 1996, 20:40 local time
- Place: Lexington, NE
- Airport: Lexington Municipal Airport
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7775° N, 99.7468° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lexington, NE, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7775&lon=-99.7468&mi=10
- Aircraft: N738RC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N738RC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960511021869I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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