# Incident 19960521015219I: Cessna 170A, Fairbanks, AK, May 21, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 21, 1996, 14:40 local time
- Place: Fairbanks, AK
- Airport: Fairbanks International
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 64.8154° N, 147.8567° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FAIRBANKS INTL (FAI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.8154&lon=-147.8567&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5448C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5448C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 170A (registry code 2072304, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-170a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C145 series (registry code 17012, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c145-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 170A
- Reported engine: CONT O300D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 180 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960521015219I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: THIS WAS A FLIGHT MADE FOR PILOT TRAINING WITH A CFI. THE OWNER WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION AREA WAS NOT REACHED. AT APROX. 900' ON CLIMB-OUT AND ON THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING INTO THE CABIN FROM THE CABIN HEAT INLET. HE CHECKED CABIN HEAT SECURED CLOSED AND CALLED THE TWR FOR EMERGENCY RETURN. ON THE LANDING APPROACH THE SMOKE DISSIPATED AND THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT HAD MADE THE FLIGHT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. IT WAS FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF ENGINE CLEANING SOLVENT HAD REMAINED IN THE HEAT MUFF AND HAD NOT COMPLETELY DRAINED OR EVAPORATED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THE GROUND RUNUP FOLLOWING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND THE GROUND RUNUP PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT DID NOT PRODUCE ANY SMOKE. ONLY AFTER FLYING SPEED WAS GAINED AND AIR PRESSURE PUSHED AIR THROUGH THE HEAT MUFF DID THE SMOKE DEVELOP.

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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