What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed mclellan airport (mcc) en-route to marysville (mrv). Preflight, engine start, taxi/takeoff were normal. Enroute to marysville, pilot reported that approximately 10 miles south of marysville, he noticed a light flicker below his seat. Upon further checking, he noticed a fire had started below his seat and the temperature was rising. At this point he looked for an open field to make an emergency landing. He landed the aircraft with the landing gear retracted. The aircraft touched down in a plowed field and came to rest approximately 250 feet from touchdown and rotated approximately 150 degrees to the left. The pilot egressed from the aircraft when it stopped. He took the aircraft manitenance records with him. Upon exiting the aircraft, the cockpit interior burst into flames causing significant burn damage to the cockpit instruments and controls. While the aircraft was on descent to land, a local duck hunter saw the aircraft and called 911. A fire truck was dispatched and arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The on-scene post crash investigation revealed that the aircraft sustained significant fire damage to the cockpit area. The lower fuselage was distorted from the landing gear up landing. There appeared to be structural damage to the aircraft primary structure. The aircraft records were inspected and the airccraft had a current annual inspection. There were no entries in the maintenance records to provide information leading to the source of the fire. The aircraft was released by the NTSB for removal by an aircraft salvage company.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MCLELLAN AIRPORT (MCC) EN-ROUTE TO MARYSVILLE (MRV). PREFLIGHT, ENGINE START, TAXI/TAKEOFF WERE NORMAL. ENROUTE TO MARYSVILLE, PILOT REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF MARYSVILLE, HE NOTICED A LIGHT FLICKER BELOW HIS SEAT. UPON FURTHER CHECKING, HE NOTICED A FIRE HAD STARTED BELOW HIS SEAT AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS RISING. AT THIS POINT HE LOOKED FOR AN OPEN FIELD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A PLOWED FIELD AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM TOUCHDOWN AND ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 150 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT EGRESSED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT STOPPED. HE TOOK THE AIRCRAFT MANITENANCE RECORDS WITH HIM. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE COCKPIT INTERIOR BURST INTO FLAMES CAUSING SIGNIFICANT BURN DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS. WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON DESCENT TO LAND, A LOCAL DUCK HUNTER SAW THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED 911. A FIRE TRUCK WAS DISPATCHED AND ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE ON-SCENE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT FIRE DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT AREA. THE LOWER FUSELAGE WAS DISTORTED FROM THE LANDING GEAR UP LANDING. THERE APPEARED TO BE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT PRIMARY STRUCTURE. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE INSPECTED AND THE AIRCCRAFT HAD A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WERE NO ENTRIES IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION LEADING TO THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED BY THE NTSB FOR REMOVAL BY AN AIRCRAFT SALVAGE COMPANY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.