19970422012749I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Beech 65-B80 · Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands · April 22, 1997

Date: April 22, 1997 · 12:25 local
Place: Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
Airport: Alexander Hamilton
Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N95HM
Reported as: Beech 65B80
Reported engine: Lycoming IO720A1B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,400 total500 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N95HMRegistration cancelled Oct 16, 2003 · Beech 65-B80S/N LD-318 · Built 1966 Airframe modelBeech 65-B80 Engine modelLycoming IGSO-540-B1AReciprocating

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: see accompanying sheet for pilot statement. Damage to aircraft: engine broke from top lord mounts. Fire caused substantial damage to engine and nacelle prop blade cut large gash in the nose compartment. privacy data omitted Pilot statement: as I was starting my take off roll, approximately 60 mph, I heard a loud bang. So I immediately aborted the take off and when the aircraft came to a stop I saw flames coming out of the right engine area. Because I could not see the right engine due to engine dropping down. Then I opened the crew door and exited the aircraft. Then the fire trucks arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: SEE ACCOMPANYING SHEET FOR PILOT STATEMENT. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT: ENGINE BROKE FROM TOP LORD MOUNTS. FIRE CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE AND NACELLE PROP BLADE CUT LARGE GASH IN THE NOSE COMPARTMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT STATEMENT: AS I WAS STARTING MY TAKE OFF ROLL, APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, I HEARD A LOUD BANG. SO I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TAKE OFF AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP I SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT ENGINE AREA. BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE THE RIGHT ENGINE DUE TO ENGINE DROPPING DOWN. THEN I OPENED THE CREW DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THEN THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.