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20080930848349I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Lear 55LEAR · Omaha, NE · September 30, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 30, 2008 · 12:50 local
Place
Omaha, NE
Airport
Eppley Airfield
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
G41A
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N824MG
Reported as
Lear 55LEAR
People aboard
14
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N824MGRegistered now · Gates Learjet 55S/N 106 · Built 1984Airframe modelGates Learjet 55Engine modelGarrett TFE731 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While enroute on a part 14 CFR 135 on demand flight with five passengers onboard, approximately one hour out from a scheduled fuel stop in Omaha, Nebraska, a passenger complained to the pilot that the toilet would not flush. The pilot called the company and was directed to reset a tripped circuit breaker. The breaker immediately tripped and the pilot was told to leave it out until they arrive on Omaha where they would have repairs made or defer it. After the aircraft was refueled and ground power was connected, approximately fifteen minutes later, the pilot observed smoke coming from around the lavatory window. The pilot retrieved the cockpit fire extinguisher and returned to the lav. At this time there were flames exiting the headliner. The pilot emptied the extinguisher and exited the aircraft. The fire was finally extinguished by the fire department. An 18 inch by 24 inch hole was burned through the left side of the fuselage between frame 22 and 24 above the lavatory window. Damage was substantial and there were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ENROUTE ON A PART 14 CFR 135 ON DEMAND FLIGHT WITH FIVE PASSENGERS ONBOARD, APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR OUT FROM A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A PASSENGER COMPLAINED TO THE PILOT THAT THE TOILET WOULD NOT FLUSH. THE PILOT CALLED THE COMPANY AND WAS DIRECTED TO RESET A TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE BREAKER IMMEDIATELY TRIPPED AND THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO LEAVE IT OUT UNTIL THEY ARRIVE ON OMAHA WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE REPAIRS MADE OR DEFER IT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED AND GROUND POWER WAS CONNECTED, APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM AROUND THE LAVATORY WINDOW. THE PILOT RETRIEVED THE COCKPIT FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND RETURNED TO THE LAV. AT THIS TIME THERE WERE FLAMES EXITING THE HEADLINER. THE PILOT EMPTIED THE EXTINGUISHER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRE WAS FINALLY EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AN 18 INCH BY 24 INCH HOLE WAS BURNED THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE BETWEEN FRAME 22 AND 24 ABOVE THE LAVATORY WINDOW. DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.