20150917020519A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mcdonnell Douglas A4N · Mesa, AZ · September 17, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: September 17, 2015 · 12:43 local
Place: Mesa, AZ
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: C-FGZT
Reported as: Mcdonnell Douglas A4N
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,200 total3,010 in this make and model47 in the last 90 days

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.

On 09/17/2015 at 1243 hrs local, aircraft c-fgct A-4 aircraft was making a final full stop landing after 3 uneventful touch and go landings. The aircraft landed with all 3 landing gear fully retracted and landing gear doors up and flush as verified by eye witness. Upon landing the aircraft slid on the center external tank until coming to a stop. Once stopped the left wing external fuel tank ruptured causing a fire which engulfed the left side of the aircraft. The pilot exited the aircraft safely with no injury. The fire department extinguished the fire without incident. The fire resulted in substantial aircraft damage.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/17/2015 AT 1243 HRS LOCAL, AIRCRAFT C-FGCT A-4 AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A FINAL FULL STOP LANDING AFTER 3 UNEVENTFUL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH ALL 3 LANDING GEAR FULLY RETRACTED AND LANDING GEAR DOORS UP AND FLUSH AS VERIFIED BY EYE WITNESS. UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE CENTER EXTERNAL TANK UNTIL COMING TO A STOP. ONCE STOPPED THE LEFT WING EXTERNAL FUEL TANK RUPTURED CAUSING A FIRE WHICH ENGULFED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY WITH NO INJURY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FIRE RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.