# Accident 19971122043259A: Stemme S10, Columbia, SC, November 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 22, 1997, 11:30 local time
- Place: Columbia, SC
- Airport: Owens Downtown Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.9909° N, 81.0293° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9909&lon=-81.0293&mi=10
- Aircraft: N803DR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N803DR-2011-08-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Roebuck David L S-10 SAKOTA (registry code 05604JJ, https://openairdocs.org/model/roebuck-david-l-s-10-sakota) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: STEMME S10
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX912
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,307 total, 32 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA012) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971122043259A

## Narrative

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

SMOKE IN CABIN ON CLIMBOUT. RETURNED SAFELY. BURNED ON RUNWAY. HAD ROUTED INFLAMABLE FUEL LINES NEAR EXHAUST. (-23) AFTER TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 800 AGL, THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND IMMEDIATELY LANDED.  AFTER THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT NOTICED FIRE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE BASE OF THE ENGINE.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE REST OF THE FUSELAGE AND RIGHT WING CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED.  THE MOST LIKELY APPARENT CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS FLAMMABLE PLASTIC TUBING LYING AGAINST THE HOT EXHAUST LINES CAUSING THE MELTED PLASTIC TO IGNITE THE FUSELAGE FABRIC THAT RAN ALL THE WAY TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL WHERE THE HOT BURNING PLASTIC WAS DROPPING.

## 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 ATL98LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA012), Nov 22, 1997: Roebuck Rans S-10 Sakota (N803DR), Columbia, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: the airplane builder's improper routing of vinyl/plastic cooling/vent line(s) for the engine oil system, and improper materials supplied by the manufacturer, which led to overheating of the line(s)…

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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