# NTSB ANC05LA110: de Havilland DHC-3, N6868B, Ketchikan, AK, July 28, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 28, 2005, 12:55 local (20:55 UTC) - Place: Ketchikan, AK - Coordinates: 55.293334, -131.543334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.2933&lon=-131.5433&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 10 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 28, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL JNU FSDO 05 - NTSB case key (mKey): 62081 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC05LA110 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62081/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC05LA110 ## Probable cause An electrical arc on the exterior of a fuel pressure line that initiated a fuel leak and fire during cruise flight, which resulted in serious injuries to the pilot as he performed an emergency landing on the water. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadequate annual inspection of the airplane by company maintenance personnel. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Fire, cruise - maintenance,annual inspection - inadequate, company maintenance personnel (contributing factor) - electrical system,electric wiring - arcing (cause) - fuel system,line - leak (cause) - fluid,fuel - fire (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The airline transport certificated pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) local area sightseeing flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, in a float-equipped airplane. During cruise flight, a flash fire erupted near the windshield/glare shield area of the cockpit, in front of the pilot. The pilot made an emergency landing, and a passenger assisted by utilizing a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The airplane received minor damage, but the pilot received second-degree burns to his hands. The airplane was manufactured in 1958, and had accrued 3,742 hours on the airframe, and 6.4 hours since the last annual inspection when a 1,000 hp engine was installed. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a pin-size hole in an aluminum fuel pressure bourbon line, utilized as a fixed line between the engine firewall, and an airframe longitudinal former, behind the instrument panel. The bourbon line is located between flexible fuel pressure lines from the engine to the firewall, and from the airframe former to the backside of the fuel pressure gauge. An examination of the line at the NTSB Materials Laboratory revealed a circular-shaped hole about 3 inches from the firewall end of the line. A longitudinal cut was made through the hole which revealed blue and brown tinting, and evidence of metal flow typical of re-solidification. The features of the hole were consistent with heat damage from electrical arcing. The wall of the tube had no evidence of corrosion. ## Factual narrative On July 28, 2005, about 1255 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped deHavilland DHC-3 airplane, N6868B, received minor damage due to an in-flight fire during cruise flight, about 5 miles southeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area sightseeing flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Promech Air, Ketchikan. The airline transport certificated pilot received serious injuries as the result of burns to his hands. The ten passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Ketchikan Seaplane Base about 1125, for a flight to the Misty Fjords National Monument. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on July 28, the director of operations for the operator reported that the flight was returning to Ketchikan when a flash fire erupted near the windshield/glare shield area of the cockpit, in front of the pilot. The pilot made an emergency landing, and a passenger assisted by utilizing a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The pilot received second-degree burns to his hands. A second company airplane landed and assisted the pilot and passengers. The director of operations for the operator reported that the airplane's engine had recently been removed, and a 1,000 horsepower WSK PZL Kalis engine, model number ASZ-62IR-M18, was installed on July 26, 2005. The airplane then had an annual inspection and returned to service. The airplane was manufactured in 1958, and had accrued 3,742 hours on the airframe, and 6.4 hours since the last annual inspection. The director of maintenance for the operator reported that a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a pin-size hole in an aluminum fuel pressure bourbon line, utilized as a fixed line between the engine firewall, and an airframe longitudinal former, behind the instrument panel. The bourbon line is located between flexible fuel pressure lines from the engine to the firewall, and from the airframe former to the backside of the fuel pressure gauge. The director of maintenance indicated that he believed the line was not disturbed during the most recent engine change, and he said the line was located about 20 inches from any electrical wiring. He removed the line and sent it to the NTSB IIC, and the line was then submitted to the NTSB Material Laboratory for examination. The laboratory examination found a circular-shaped hole about 3 inches from the firewall end of the line. A longitudinal cut was made through the hole which revealed blue and brown tinting, and evidence of metal flow typical of re-solidification. The features of the hole were consistent with heat damage from electrical arcing. The wall of the tube had no evidence of corrosion. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6868B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6868B), registered now, S/N 274, built 1958 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: de Havilland DHC-3 - Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-3](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-3) (registry code 2802412) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-34-series) (registry code 52143, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 274 - Airframe hours: 3742 - Engines: WSK PZL Kalis ASZ-62IR-M18 1000 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Fire: In-Flight - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Promech Inc., doing business as Promech Air - Registered owner: PM Air, LLC. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2005, 6.4 hours before - Departed: 5KE, Ketchikan, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 56; injuries: serious; flight engineer, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 15,251 total, 13 in this make and model, 13,666 as pilot in command, 185 in the last 90 days, 101 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 155° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,500 ft broken - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: PAKT, 5 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050728017669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050728017669A), Jul 28, 2005: Dhav DHC3, Ketchikan, AK, Minor damage. (-23) While enroute back to Ketchikan from a part 135 flight seeing tour, a fire erupted in the cockpit, mainly from the instrument panel. The aircraft was… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.