- Date
- July 9, 1993, 10:05 local (18:05 UTC)
- Place
- Nome, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9984MCessna 207
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930709026809I
- Case key
- 2323
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The chafed fuel line and chafed electrical wire and the improper maintenance procedure used to secure the electrical wire with a tie wrap.
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
While in cruise flight a fire erupted beneath the cabin floor directly beneath the right front seat. Upon landing the fire was extinguished with the airplane's fire extinguisher. Examination of the airplane showed that an electrical wire had been tie wrapped to a fuel line. The insulation on the wire had chaffed through and there was a hole in the fuel line. It could not be determined who performed any work in that area.
Factual narrative
On July 9, 1993, at 1030 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 207 airplane, registered to and operated by Baker Aviation of Kotzebue, Alaska, experienced an in flight fire in the cabin under the right front seat. The scheduled flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 135, departed Nome, Alaska, and the destination was White Mountain, Alaska. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Airline Transport certificated Pilot-in-Command and his passenger were not injured and the airplane received minor damage.
According to Larry Williams, the Director of Operations for Baker Aviation, an electrical wire had been tie wrapped to a fuel line located under the cabin floor directly beneath the right front seat. The electrical wire was chaffed through the insulation and the fuel line had a hole. The fire was extinguished with a hand held fire extinguisher.
The Operator could not determine who had done any work in the area of the fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9984M
- Reported as
- Cessna 207
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Baker Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- WMO · White Mountain, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,500 total · 100 in this make and model · 16,300 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9984M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.