# Incident 20000508023359I: Beech 58, Windsor Locks, CT, May 8, 2000 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 8, 2000, 21:37 local time - Place: Windsor Locks, CT - Airport: Bradley International - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Location: 41.9390° N, 72.6843° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BRADLEY INTL (BDL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9390&lon=-72.6843&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9044V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9044V) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 58 (registry code 1152740, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 58 - Reported engine: LYC IO540* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,400 total, 130 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC00IA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00IA131) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000508023359I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON MAY 8, 2000, AT 2137 EDT, A BEECH BE-58, N9044V, OPERATED BY U.S. CHECKS, SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BDL), WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERICAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, BETWEEN BRADELY AND STEWART INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SWF), NEWBURGH, NEW YORK. THE CARGO FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SMELLED SMOKE AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO BRADLEY, LANDED, AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. DURING THE POSTFLIGTH INSPECTION, THE ROTATING BEACON POWER WIRE WAS FOUND TO BE BURNT, THE ENTIRE LENGHT OF THE AIRPLANE. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A HOLDING SCREW FOR THE ROTATING BEACON SWITCH/CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TOO LONG, AND IT HAD FRACTURED THE SWITCH. (-23)A/C DEPARTED BDL FOR THE SWF AIRPORT. DURING INTIAL CLIMBOUT, THE PILOT SMELLED SMOKE AND RETURNED TO BDL. THE AIR NET MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE ROTATING BEACON HAD FAILED, BUT THE SWITCH/CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILED TO TRIP. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN ON DUE TO SCREW CONTACT FROM THE PANEL. A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO AAI-200. (.4) ON MAY 8, 2000, AT 2137 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-58, N9044V, OPERATED BY U.S. CHECK, SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BDL), WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, BETWEEN BRADLEY AND STEWART INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SWF), NEWBURGH, NEW YORK. THE CARGO FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SMELLED SMOKE AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO BRADLEY, LANDED, AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. DURING THE POSTFLIGHT I NSPECTION, THE ROTATING BEACON POWER WIRE WAS FOUND TO BE BURNT, THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE AIRPLANE. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A HOLDING SCREW FOR THE ELECTROLUMINESCENT PANEL HAD CONTACTED THE ROTATING BEACON SWITCH/CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND FRACTURED PART OF THE UNIT. THE SWITCH FUNCTION WAS DETERMINED TO STILL OPERATE PROPERLY, BUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD FAILED. THE INITIATING EVENT WAS SUSPECTED TO BE A FAILED BEACON MOTOR, WHICH THEN INITIATED A SHORT CIRCUIT; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT POSITIVELY CONFIRMED. THE SWITCH/BREAKER WAS ATTACHED TO A SOLID BUSS BAR BEHIND THE PANEL, AND THE SCREW IN QUESTION WAS ONE OF FIVE USED TO HOLD THE PANEL IN PLACE. EACH OF THE FOUR OTHER SCREWS WAS LOCATED AT A CORNER OF THE PANEL, WHILE THE FIFTH SCREW WAS LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW THE TOGGLE PORTION OF THE SWITCH. THE BEECHCRAFT ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG CALLED FOR THE USE OF AN AN5158632R SCREW, BUT DID NOT GIVE A DASH NUMBER FOR THE SCREW'S LENGTH. THE FAA INSPECTOR SUBMITTED SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FAA RECOMMENDATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION, AAI-200, FOR A FLEETWIDE INSPECTION OF EXISTING SWITCHES, FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO REVISE THE PARTS CATALOGUE TO REFLECT SCREW LENGTH, AND FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO MOVE THE SCREW POSITION ON FUTURE AIRPLANES. ## 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 NYC00IA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00IA131), May 9, 2000: Beech BE-58 (N9044V), Windsor Locks, CT, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: Inadequate screw length information provided by the manufacturer, which allowed an inadvertent installation of a holding screw that was too long, and the subsequent fracture of the switch/circuit… ## Other reports on N9044V (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19991203034719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991203034719I), Dec 3, 1999: Beech 58 (N9044V), Buffalo, NY. (-23) On Friday, December 3, 1999, at 2330 local, an airnet express (call sign "starcheck"), Beechcraft BE-58 baron, N9044V, returned to land on runway 23 at… - [Incident 19970923033409I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970923033409I), Sep 23, 1997: Beech 58 (N9044V), Charlotte, NC, Minor damage. Narrative: after landing at clt on 09/23/97 N9044V at 0205 the nose gear collapsed. Both RH and LH props bent back. Both RH and LH nose gear door leading edges… - [Incident 19970128000939I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970128000939I), Jan 28, 1997: Beech 58 (N9044V), Rome, NY, Minor damage. No gear up light. Recycled got three greens. Landed. Left gear was still up. Gear doors froze shut by ice. 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.