# NTSB ANC07LA016: Douglas C54G-DC, N82FA, Nenana, AK, January 17, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 17, 2007, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC) - Place: Nenana, AK - Coordinates: 64.543052, -149.276107 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.5431&lon=-149.2761&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 25, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Fairbanks, FSDO-01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 65169 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA016 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65169/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA016 ## Probable cause The failure of an engine cylinder during cruise flight, which resulted in an in-flight fire, and subsequent emergency gear-up landing on snow-covered tundra. A factor in the accident was the failure of the fire suppression equipment to extinguish the fire. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malf, cruise - normal - engine assembly,cylinder - failure,total (cause) - Fire, cruise - normal - fire extinguishing equipment - activated - fire extinguishing equipment - inadequate (contributing factor) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Wheels up landing, emergency landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - snow covered - terrain condition - tundra ## Analysis The flight crew was delivering a cargo of fuel in the four-engine airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 125, when the airplane lost power in the number 2 engine. The captain elected to shut the engine down and return to the airport. He said during the shutdown procedure, the engine caught fire, and that the fire extinguishing system was activated. The crew thought the fire was out, but it erupted again, and the captain elected to land the airplane gear-up on the snow-covered tundra. Once on the ground, the left wing was consumed by fire. An inspection by company maintenance personnel revealed that an overhauled engine cylinder had failed at its base, resulting in a fire. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB due to its remote location. ## Factual narrative On January 17, 2007, about 1550 Alaska standard time, a Douglas C54G-DC airplane, N82FA, sustained substantial damage following an in-flight engine fire and subsequent gear-up landing on the tundra, about 5 miles west of Nenana, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Brooks Fuel Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) flight under Title 14, CFR Part 125, when the accident occurred. The airline transport certificated pilot and the commercial certificated co-pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, about 1530. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on January 17, the owner of the company said the pilot reported that during cruise flight, the left inboard (number 2) engine started running rough, and he elected to shut it down and return to the Fairbanks airport. He said the pilot told him that during the shutdown procedure, the engine caught fire, and that the fire extinguishing system was activated. According to the owner, the pilot said the fire flared up a second time, and unable to extinguish the fire, he elected to land the airplane gear-up on the snow-covered tundra. The pilot told the owner that once on the ground, the left wing was consumed by fire. An inspection by company maintenance personnel revealed that an overhauled engine cylinder had failed at its base, resulting in a fire. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB due to its remote location. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N82FA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82FA-2015-05-06), registration cancelled 2015-05-06, S/N 35960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Douglas C54G-DC - Registry model: [Douglas C54G-DC](https://openairdocs.org/model/douglas-c54g-dc) (registry code 3021534) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 35906 - Airframe hours: 28933 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 1450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: In-Flight - Flight: Other work use, Part 125 - Registered owner: Brooks Fuel Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, January 1, 2007 - Departed: PAFA, Fairbanks, AK - Destination: Nixon Fork Mine, AK - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 33; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 1, 2006; seat: front; flight hours: 2,750 total, 1,550 in this make and model, 2,200 as pilot in command, 65 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 23; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 1, 2007; seat: right; flight hours: 796 total, 61 in this make and model, 653 as pilot in command, 76 in the last 90 days, 65 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: -2 °F, dew point -6 °F - Altimeter: 29.80 inHg - Observed at: PANN, 3 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 20070117000449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070117000449A), Jan 17, 2007: Doug C54GDC, Nenana, AK, Destroyed. (-23) [privacy data omitted] aircraft was enroute at 2500' to Nenana with 7 bladders of heating fuel (3000 gal) #2 engine began running rough and the pilot… 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.