20101013048939I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 58 · Chico, CA · October 13, 2010

Date: October 13, 2010 · 15:40 local
Place: Chico, CA
Airport: Chico Municipal
Phase of flight: Taxi
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N581RC
Reported as: Beech 58
Reported engine: Continental IO-550-C
People aboard: 0
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N581RCRegistration cancelled Feb 4, 2013 · Beech 58S/N TH1477 · Built 1985 Airframe modelBeech 58 Engine modelContinental IO-550-CReciprocating

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.

Aircraft N581RC, a BE-58 was undergoing maintenance operational checks for new brake disc replacements. The mechanic who taxied the aircraft was attempting to "break-in" the new discs by performing high speed taxi runs accompanied by successive brake applications. After several brake applications the brakes overheated and caught fire. Emergency services responded and extinguished the fire. The damage was confined to the wheel and brake assemblies, landing gear wiring and one landing gear door. The mechanic was counseled on braking technique and operation of brakes during taxi.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT N581RC, A BE-58 WAS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE OPERATIONAL CHECKS FOR NEW BRAKE DISC REPLACEMENTS. THE MECHANIC WHO TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO "BREAK-IN" THE NEW DISCS BY PERFORMING HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS ACCOMPANIED BY SUCCESSIVE BRAKE APPLICATIONS. AFTER SEVERAL BRAKE APPLICATIONS THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE. EMERGENCY SERVICES RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLIES, LANDING GEAR WIRING AND ONE LANDING GEAR DOOR. THE MECHANIC WAS COUNSELED ON BRAKING TECHNIQUE AND OPERATION OF BRAKES DURING TAXI.