What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft struck high tension wires and crashed. (-23) on November 14, 1998, about 1355 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N48882, experienced a fire during the climb after takeoff from the Daytona Beach international airport, Daytona Beach, Florida. The airpalne was operated philair flight center, under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules (VFR). A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was the Daytona international airport, about five minutes prior to the accident. According to the Daytona Beach air traffic control tower the pilot reported a fire in the airplane shortly after departure. As the pilot was attempting to return to the airport, the airplane struck power lines and the ground. (.19) on November 14, 1998, about 1355 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N48882, experienced a fire during the climb after takeoff from the Daytona Beach international airport, Daytona Beach, Florida. The airplane was operated philair flight center, under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules (VFR). A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was the Daytona international airport, about five minutes prior to the accident. According to the Daytona Beach air traffic control tower the pilot reported a fire in the airplane shortly after departure. As the pilot was attempting to return to the airport, the airplane struck power lines and the ground. (.4)shortly after departure, the pilot advised departure control, 'I need an emergency landing. I've got fire onboard.' Approximately one minute later, radar contact with the airplane was lost. Several airborne witnesses observed the airplane collide with power lines prior to coming to rest in a 6-FT. Retention pond. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the forward section of the cabin's interior upholstery was burned, and the left side of the pilot's seat was melted and charred; however, the underneath side of the carpet was not burned. No evidence of fire was found on the backside of the instrument panel. Several packs of cigarettes and two cigarette butts were found in the pilot's flight bag. Interviews with friends of the pilot revealed he was a smoker. The pilot's autopsy report noted the presence of 'diffuse, moderate, anthracotic reticualtion' in the lungs. Anthrocosis results from the deposition of carbon deep within the lungs and is commonly found in individuals who smoke. The medical examiner's toxicology report indicated that the urine analysis was 'nicotine/continine positive.'
As the FAA filed it
ACFT STRUCK HIGH TENSION WIRES AND CRASHED. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 1355 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N48882, EXPERIENCED A FIRE DURING THE CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE AIRPALNE WAS OPERATED PHILAIR FLIGHT CENTER, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ORIGINATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS THE DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ABOUT FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE DAYTONA BEACH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THE PILOT REPORTED A FIRE IN THE AIRPLANE SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES AND THE GROUND. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 1355 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 152, N48882, EXPERIENCED A FIRE DURING THE CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED PHILAIR FLIGHT CENTER, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ORIGINATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS THE DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ABOUT FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE DAYTONA BEACH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THE PILOT REPORTED A FIRE IN THE AIRPLANE SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES AND THE GROUND. (.4)SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT ADVISED DEPARTURE CONTROL, 'I NEED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. I'VE GOT FIRE ONBOARD.' APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE LATER, RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST. SEVERAL AIRBORNE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE COLLIDE WITH POWER LINES PRIOR TO COMING TO REST IN A 6-FT. RETENTION POND. A POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE CABIN'S INTERIOR UPHOLSTERY WAS BURNED, AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PILOT'S SEAT WAS MELTED AND CHARRED; HOWEVER, THE UNDERNEATH SIDE OF THE CARPET WAS NOT BURNED. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE WAS FOUND ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SEVERAL PACKS OF CIGARETTES AND TWO CIGARETTE BUTTS WERE FOUND IN THE PILOT'S FLIGHT BAG. INTERVIEWS WITH FRIENDS OF THE PILOT REVEALED HE WAS A SMOKER. THE PILOT'S AUTOPSY REPORT NOTED THE PRESENCE OF 'DIFFUSE, MODERATE, ANTHRACOTIC RETICUALTION' IN THE LUNGS. ANTHROCOSIS RESULTS FROM THE DEPOSITION OF CARBON DEEP WITHIN THE LUNGS AND IS COMMONLY FOUND IN INDIVIDUALS WHO SMOKE. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT INDICATED THAT THE URINE ANALYSIS WAS 'NICOTINE/CONTININE POSITIVE.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.