19980420010949I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172M · Grand Forks, ND · April 20, 1998

Date: April 20, 1998 · 23:30 local
Place: Grand Forks, ND
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N61876
Reported as: Cessna 172M
Reported engine: Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 545 total400 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N61876Registered now · Cessna 172MS/N 17264861 · Built 1975 Airframe modelCessna 172M Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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: on April 20, 1998, at 2330 central daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N61876, operated by a commercial pilot sustained no damage during cruise and landing. An electrical short caused smoke to enter the cockpit. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The title 14 CFR part 91 flight had been operating on a VFR flight plan. The pilot, co-pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated at Grand Forks international airport, Grand Forks, ND at 2320 local time. After a preliminary investigation of the incident airworthiness is considered a factor in the cause of the incident. An electrical cable from the alternator had shorted, causing smoke to enter the cockpit area.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON APRIL 20, 1998, AT 2330 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172M, N61876, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE DURING CRUISE AND LANDING. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED SMOKE TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD BEEN OPERATING ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, CO-PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT GRAND FORKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, GRAND FORKS, ND AT 2320 LOCAL TIME. AFTER A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE INCIDENT AIRWORTHINESS IS CONSIDERED A FACTOR IN THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. AN ELECTRICAL CABLE FROM THE ALTERNATOR HAD SHORTED, CAUSING SMOKE TO ENTER THE COCKPIT AREA.