- Date
- March 5, 1983, 20:00 local (Mar 6, 1983, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7864FCessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830305073509I
- Case key
- 4082
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft right engine started emitting sparks from the cowling during normal cruise. The pilot noted a drop in manifold pressure so he reduced power on that engine and the sparks stopped. The acft was landed at Bethel. The fire dept. Used a fire extinguishing agent on the engine. The damage was minor. Inspection of the right engine revealed a broken bolt onthe exhaust clamp which secured the exhaust pipe to the turbocharger. The clamp which secured the pipe to the engine nacelle had slipped off the bracket. This allowed the pipe to slip down and release hot exhaust gases into the engine nacelle. This heated the engine excessively and removed the waste gate from the operational system of the engine. The broken bolt is a part of the clamp p/n mvt 68637-375M.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7864F
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 401-0207
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Doug Bensing
- Registered owner
- B.J. Matthews
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1982
- Departed
- BET · Bethel
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BET · Bethel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,454 total · 150 in this make and model · 1,197 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BET
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.