- Date
- January 20, 2001, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwood, MS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N7882UCessna 172 F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Jackson FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010120000349A
- Case key
- 51372
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons. Finding: A factor is the maintenance modification was performed by company personnel prior to the flight.
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
According to the pilot, he noticed smoke in the cabin, and turned around and saw flames behind him. He turned off the master switch and turned the airplane back towards the airport. The pilot landed on the grass next to the runway, and exited the airplane. Suddenly, the pilot executed a left turn and returned to the airport. The controller observed smoke coming from the airplane as the pilot maneuvered the airplane for an emergency landing on the airport.
Factual narrative
On January 20, 2001, at 1700 central standard time, a Cessna 172F, N7882U, experienced an in-flight fire of unknown origins during takeoff from runway 36, Greenwood- Leflore County Airport, Mississippi. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot received serious injuries. The airplane departed Greenwood-Leflore County Airport, in Greenwood, Mississippi, at 1700.
According to the pilot, after departing Greenwood-Leflore County Airport on runway 36, he noticed smoke in the cabin. He reported, he turned around and saw flames behind him. He turned off the master switch, and turned back towards the airport. He tried to put out the flames but was unsuccessful. During the return to the airport, the airplane collided with power lines. Then the aircraft clipped a 6' high airport security fence. The pilot landed on the grass next to the runway, and exited the airplane. According to the air traffic controller, the airplane climbed to approximately 35 feet after take off from runway 36, and suddenly the pilot executed a left turn and returned to the airport. The controller observed smoke coming from the airplane as the pilot maneuvered the airplane for an emergency landing on the airport. The pilot made an emergency landing in the grass adjacent to runway 36.
Examination of the maintenance records revealed that, no evidence of fire occurred prior to the modification. The airplane maintenance records revealed that a radio instrument rack, and other electrical equipment had been installed in the passenger compartment prior to the flight. The airplane's passenger compartment from the firewall to aft of the baggage compartment was totally consumed by the fire after landing. This flight was the first flight after the modification and the fire started in the area where the new equipment was installed. The fire ignition source has not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7882U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251882
- Airframe hours
- 4,608
- Engine
- Continental O-300D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jimmy Leon Thompson
- Registered owner
- Thompson Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 2000 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- GWO · Greenwood, MS
- Destination
- GWO · Greenwood, MS
- Airport
- GWO · Greenwood Lefore, runway 36, 6,503 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 27
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 21, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 560 total · 400 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- GWO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.