# Accident 20190709009719A: Beech U-8F, Sidney, NE, July 9, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 9, 2019, 08:15 local time
- Place: Sidney, NE
- Airport: Sidney Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: BEMA
- Location: 41.1014° N, 102.9853° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1014&lon=-102.9853&mi=10
- Aircraft: N62069, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N62069) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech U-8F (registry code 1152801, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-u-8f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH U-8F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 7,155 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN19LA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA215) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190709009719A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

-LH WING OUTBOARD SECTION EXPLODED DURING TAKEOFF ROLL.

-PILOT ABORTED TAKEOFF AND TAXIED BACK TO RAMP AREA.

-PILOT REPORTED ACCIDENT TO OPERATOR.

-LH OUTBOARD WING VISUALLY VERIFIED AS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY EXPLOSIVE FORCES.

-PILOT NOTED STALL WARNING HORN ACTUATION WHILE ON GROUND PRIOR TO TAKE OFF.  NOTE:  PILOT DID NOT NOTIFY MAINTENANCE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF ATTEMPT PER DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE STATEMENT.

-STALL WARNING HORN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED OUT AS EVIDENCED IN POST ACCIDENT PHOTOGRAPH.

-LH OUTBOARD WING WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED APPROXIMATELY FEBRUARY 2019 AS EVIDENCED BY AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK ENTRY.

-LH OUTBOARD WING WAS PURCHASED FROM SALVAGE COMPANY PER DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE STATEMENT.

-EXTERIOR PAINT ON INBOARD WING SURFACE HAS APPEARANCE OF HEAT DAMAGE AND BLISTERING AS EVIDENCED IN POST ACCIDENT PHOTOGRAPH.

-DURING ON SCENE INVESTIGATION, VISUAL HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON INTERNAL INBOARD WING SURFACES.  EVIDENCED BY SOOTING, BURNED WIRING, AND MELTED INSULATION.

-DURING INVESTIGATION, NOTED WIRE BUNDLE ROUTING MISSED A CUSHION CLAMP.  THE WIRE BUNDE WAS PINCHED BETWEEN CLAMP AND AN INTERNAL WING RIB.  EVIDENCE OF SHINY METAL TO METAL CONTACT AREAS EXISTED WHEN HARNESS MOVED.

-WIRING IN THIS AREA EXHIBITED MELTED INSULATION.  NOTE:  EXTERIOR WING SURFACE DISPLAYED BUBBLED AND BURNED PAINT DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS AREA.

-POWER WAS APPLIED TO AIRCRAFT AND STALL WARNING HORN ACTUATED ALONG WITH NAV LIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPING.

-DURING INVESTIGATION, LH WING WAS FUELED.

-LH INBOARD WING FUEL PROBE MOUNTING SCREWS BEGAN TO LEAK PROFUSELY TO POINT FUEL DRIPPING INSIDE WING.

-THE FUEL PROBE SCREWS WERE TURNED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 TURNS WHICH STOPPED FUEL LEAK.

-THE LEAKING FUEL PROBE WAS INSTALLED DURING EARLIER MAINTENANCE EVENT APPROXIMATELY MAY 2019 AS EVIDENCED BY AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK ENTRY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN19LA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA215), Jul 9, 2019: Beech 65 (N62069), Sidney, NE, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper maintenance of the outboard left wing, which allowed electrical arcing and leaking of the fuel sending unit and subsequently resulted in ignition of fuel vapors and an explosion of the…

## Other reports on N62069 (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20210617013169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210617013169A), Jun 17, 2021: Beech U-8F (N62069), Goodland, KS, Substantial damage. Pilot statement: I started up the right engine and as I began to lean the mixture to stabilize the engine I heard a loud bang from the area of the right wing.…
- [Accident 20190222010449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190222010449A), Feb 22, 2019: Beech U-8F (N62069), Colby, KS, Substantial damage. After landing at the Colby, KS (kcbk)airport, the pilot offloaded all cargo and prepared to fly under part 91 back to denver, co (kden). On takeoff from runway…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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