What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 5, 2006 pilot in command privacy data omitted reported to the new england FAA communications center that he had been involved in an inflight fire incident the previous night out of New Bedford airport (ewb). The PIC stated a few moments after takeoff climbing through 3500 ft MSL about 7 miles from the airport they immediately noticed the low voltage light illuminated and heard a loud bang, all the lights dimmed and the radios shut down. Witness statements from both PIC and SIC reported bright yellow arcing around the engine cowl followed by sparks coming from the right side of the cowl, up and over the windscreen. Both pilots stated they could smell smoke and an electrical smell in the cabin at the time of the incident. The radios came back on but weak, the PIC declared an emergency to kewb tower and received clearance to land straight in on runway 5. Upon shutting down the master and electrical switches the sparks stopped coming from the engine cowling. The aircraft landed without further incident. The incident occurred at night in VMC conditions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 5, 2006 PILOT IN COMMAND ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ REPORTED TO THE NEW ENGLAND FAA COMMUNICATIONS CENTER THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN INFLIGHT FIRE INCIDENT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT OUT OF NEW BEDFORD AIRPORT (EWB). THE PIC STATED A FEW MOMENTS AFTER TAKEOFF CLIMBING THROUGH 3500 FT MSL ABOUT 7 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HEARD A LOUD BANG, ALL THE LIGHTS DIMMED AND THE RADIOS SHUT DOWN. WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM BOTH PIC AND SIC REPORTED BRIGHT YELLOW ARCING AROUND THE ENGINE COWL FOLLOWED BY SPARKS COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWL, UP AND OVER THE WINDSCREEN. BOTH PILOTS STATED THEY COULD SMELL SMOKE AND AN ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE RADIOS CAME BACK ON BUT WEAK, THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO KEWB TOWER AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND STRAIGHT IN ON RUNWAY 5. UPON SHUTTING DOWN THE MASTER AND ELECTRICAL SWITCHES THE SPARKS STOPPED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT IN VMC CONDITIONS.
Other reports on N51250 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.