# Accident 19980609012809A: Cessna 207A, Juneau, AK, June 9, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 9, 1998, 12:31 local time - Place: Juneau, AK - Airport: Juneau International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: AJAA - Location: 58.5792° N, 134.7691° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.5792&lon=-134.7691&mi=10 - Aircraft: N96AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N96AK) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 207A (registry code 2073605, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-207a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520-F (registry code 17237, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-f) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 207A - Reported engine: CONT IO520F - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,330 total, 45 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98FA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98FA069) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980609012809A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AIR TAXI DITCHED IN THE WATER AFTER EXPERIENCING A FIRE ON BOARD, 1 MINOR INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, AND FOUR PASSENGERS, DEPARTED IN A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE ON A SCHEDULED COMMUTER FLIGHT OVER TERRAIN CONSISTING OF OPEN WATER AND WOODED ISLANDS. THIRTEEN MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, REPORTING A FIRE IN THE AIRPLANE. SMOKE AND HEAT WERE COMING FROM BENEATH THE MID-CABIN FLOOR. THE PILOT DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN SHALLOW WATER ALONG A SHORELINE OF A SMALL ISLAND. THE FIRE, WHICH WAS LOCATED UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT BETWEEN THE CABIN FLOOR AND THE LOWER AIRPLANE BELLY SKIN, WAS SELF-EXTINGUISHED DURING THE DITCHING. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED A FUEL LINE, A BUNDLED SET OF ELECTRICAL WIRES AND A LORAN ANTENNA CABLE, WERE ROUTED ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, UNDER THE CABIN FLOOR. THE LORAN ANTENNA CABLE HAD BEEN INSTALLED 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. TWO SMALL HOLES, CONSISTENT WITH ARCING, WERE FOUND IN THE FUEL LINE. EVIDENCE OF ARCING WAS FOUND ON ONE OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRES. PLASTIC TIE WRAPS ATTACHED THE WIRE/ANTENNA BUNDLE TO PLASTIC CLAMPS THAT WERE EACH SECURED TO FUSELAGE FORMERS UNDER THE FLOOR BY BOLTS OR SCREWS. ONE CLAMP, ADJACENT TO THE HOLES FOUND IN THE FUEL LINE, WAS MISSING FROM ITS ATTACH POINT. A SCREW AND A SMALL MELTED PORTION OF A PLASTIC TIE WRAP WERE FOUND ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER IN THE FUSELAGE BELLY, BENEATH THE CABIN FLOOR. AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A 100-HOUR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED 11 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EACH COMPANY INSPECTION CHECKLIST INCLUDES AN INSPECTION OF THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE FUSELAGE, AND AN INSPECTION OF ANTENNA CABLES. THE FAA RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUE FOR ATTACHING CLAMPS TO STRUCTURE IS THE USE OF BOLTS WITH LOCKNUTS, OR SELF-LOCKING NUTS. ## 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 ANC98FA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98FA069), Jun 9, 1998: Cessna 207A (N96AK), Juneau, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of company maintenance personnel to properly install a wire bundle clamp; chafing, electrical arcing, and subsequent leaking of a fuel line, which resulted in an in-flight fire. A factor… ## Other reports on N96AK (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20050221002599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050221002599I), Feb 21, 2005: Cessna 207A (N96AK), Gustavus, AK, Minor damage. (-23) While on a VFR part 91 repositioning flight, the pilot encountered IFR conditions (fast moving snow squalls) which prevented him from continuing to his… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.