# Incident 19980818038029I: Saab F-35 DRAKEN, Newport News, VA, August 18, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 18, 1998, 15:00 local time
- Place: Newport News, VA
- Airport: Williamsburg International Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.9788° N, 76.4280° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Newport News, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9788&lon=-76.4280&mi=10
- Aircraft: N111XD, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N111XD-2015-05-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Saab F-35 DRAKEN (registry code 7840344, https://openairdocs.org/model/saab-f-35-draken) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,890 total, 14 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980818038029I

## Narrative

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

(-5) AS PILOT WAS COMPLETING HIS START PROCEDURE, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL STATIONED NEAR-BY SAW FLAMES ERUPT FROM THE AFT FUSELAGE (TAILCONE) WITH FLUID ALSO ON FIRE RUNNING FROM THE LOWER AFT FUSELAGE.  PILOT SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND SAFELY CLIMBED FROM THE COCKPIT.  THE FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND ALSO SPRAYED AS A PRECAUTION BY AIRPORT CRASH-RESCUE TRUCK.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT EXHAUST NOZZLE ACTUATOR HYDRAULIC HOSE HAD RUPTURED(PART OF THE AFTER-BURNER SYSTEM), CAUSING THE LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID TO IGNITE IN THE ENGINE EXHAUST TAILCONE.  DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIMITED TO THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SKINS OF THE TAILCONE ASSEMBLY.  THE REMAINING F-35 AIRCRAFT THE COMPANY OPERATES WILL HAVE THESE HOSES INSPECTED AS A PRECAUTION.

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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