What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot advised there was smoke and fire in the cockpit and that he was unable to get the landing gear down. (-23) on 02/23/98, jon r. martin departed lafayete regional airport in his CE-210M, at about 8 miles out from the airport, Mr. Martin started to smell smoke in the cockpit. Mr. Martin turned the aircraft around and radioed the tower at Lafayette that he was having problems with the landing gear and had smoke in the cockpit. Mr. Martin tried to lower his landing gear, but found out he had no hydraulic pressure, he then tried the hand pump, but to no avail. Mr. Martin then proceeded to land the aircraft gear up on runway 4R. The aircraft sustained substantial damage due to an in flight fire and gear up landing. M&d report filed. (.4) the airplane was substantially damaged during an in-flight fire and gear up landing. The pilot reported that he had 'not gone more than eight miles from the airport, when (he) started to smell smoke'. He observed white smoke coming from under the instrument panel on the co-pilot's side and 'shortly' thereafter the engine 'began to surge'. The pilot was unable to extend the gear using the gear selector switch and began using the emergency gear pump. As he was attempting to pump the gear down he noticed a fire that 'looked to be around the hydraulic reservoir on the co-pilot's side'. A gear up landing was executed on runway 04R. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left side of the nose gear well was burned in the vicinity of the fuel line that connects the fuel pump to the strainer. The squat switch wires, which are normally secured to the nose gear strut, were found loose. The squat switch wires were crimped and the protective casing around the wire was burned away at the crimped area. The FAA inspector reported that the fire burned a hole in the engine firewall.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT ADVISED THERE WAS SMOKE AND FIRE IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. (-23) ON 02/23/98, JON R. MARTIN DEPARTED LAFAYETE REGIONAL AIRPORT IN HIS CE-210M, AT ABOUT 8 MILES OUT FROM THE AIRPORT, MR. MARTIN STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. MR. MARTIN TURNED THE AIRCRAFT AROUND AND RADIOED THE TOWER AT LAFAYETTE THAT HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. MR. MARTIN TRIED TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR, BUT FOUND OUT HE HAD NO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, HE THEN TRIED THE HAND PUMP, BUT TO NO AVAIL. MR. MARTIN THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 4R. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DUE TO AN IN FLIGHT FIRE AND GEAR UP LANDING. M&D REPORT FILED. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND GEAR UP LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD 'NOT GONE MORE THAN EIGHT MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, WHEN (HE) STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE'. HE OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE CO-PILOT'S SIDE AND 'SHORTLY' THEREAFTER THE ENGINE 'BEGAN TO SURGE'. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE GEAR USING THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH AND BEGAN USING THE EMERGENCY GEAR PUMP. AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN HE NOTICED A FIRE THAT 'LOOKED TO BE AROUND THE HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR ON THE CO-PILOT'S SIDE'. A GEAR UP LANDING WAS EXECUTED ON RUNWAY 04R. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR WELL WAS BURNED IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL LINE THAT CONNECTS THE FUEL PUMP TO THE STRAINER. THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRES, WHICH ARE NORMALLY SECURED TO THE NOSE GEAR STRUT, WERE FOUND LOOSE. THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRES WERE CRIMPED AND THE PROTECTIVE CASING AROUND THE WIRE WAS BURNED AWAY AT THE CRIMPED AREA. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE FIRE BURNED A HOLE IN THE ENGINE FIREWALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.