# NTSB ATL07LA065: Beech BE-58, N1MQ, Woolsey, GA, March 29, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 29, 2007, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC) - Place: Woolsey, GA - Coordinates: 33.32611, -84.411666 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3261&lon=-84.4117&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65555 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL07LA065 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65555/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=65555 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL07LA065 ## Probable cause In-flight fire of the right wing for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Fire, cruise - normal - reason for occurrence undetermined - wing - fire - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing ## Analysis According to the pilot, while in cruise flight at 2,500, feet he felt a "thump" and observed black smoke or soot on the outer third of the aileron. He made an emergency descent to a landing at a private airport. Examination of the right wing found extensive fire damage concentrated in the center of the wing, with ballooning of the wing skin, and soot trailing over the right aileron. The source of fuel/fuel vapor, or the ignition source that started the fire could not be identified due to the extent of the fire damage. ## Factual narrative On March 29, 2007, at 1550 eastern daylight time, a Beech BE-58, N1MQ, registered to Airway Partners LLC, operating as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, experienced a right wing in-flight fire while on approach to the Spalding County Airport (6A2), Griffin, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed , and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage. The commercial pilot and two passengers reported no injuries. The flight departed Cobb County McCollum Airport (RYY), Marietta at 1530. According to the pilot, while in cruise flight at 2,500 feet, he felt a "thump" and observed that the right wing had structural damage. He slowed the airplane to 120 knots to verify that he still had positive control of the ailerons. At that point he observed black smoke or soot on the outer third of the aileron, and believed that the wing was on fire at that time. He moved the right engine throttle to idle, feathered the propeller, and pulled the mixture to cut-off. He made an emergency descent to a landing at a private airport in Woolsey, Georgia. After landing, he and his passengers egressed the airplane and extinguish the fire on the right wing. Examination of the right wing found extensive fire damage concentrated in the center of the wing, with ballooning of the wing skin, and soot trailing over the right aileron. Removal of the wing skin found heavy sooting within the wing cavity and molten aluminum. Also, observed were several pieces of fuel vent line, which had heat fractured into 3 to 4 inch pieces. No liquid fuel was observed and the fuel tank was not damaged. The source of fuel/fuel vapor, or the ignition source that started the fire could not be identified due to the extent of the fire damage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1MQ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1MQ), registered now, S/N TH-731, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech BE-58 - Registry model: [Beech 58](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (registry code 1152740) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TH-731 - Airframe hours: 5270 - Engines: Continental IO-520C 285 horsepower reciprocating; Continental IO-520C 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: In-Flight - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Richard B. Handley - Registered owner: Airway Partners LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2006, 150 hours before - Departed: RYY, Marietta, GA - Destination: 6A2, Griffin, GA - Airport: 3RU, Rusty Airstrip, runway 090, 2,750 × 120 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 2,278 total, 130 in this make and model, 2,058 as pilot in command, 46 in the last 90 days, 19 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.19 inHg - Observed at: FFC, 40 nm away ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2008, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=65555. 4.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 637 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40297096&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 118 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40297097&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - NTSB Digital Photo 1; External view of damaged right wing. (item 3, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40297099&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Digital%20Photo%201;%20External%20view%20of%20damaged%20right%20wing.-Master.PDF - NTSB Digital Photo 2; Overall view of right wing. (item 4, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40297100&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Digital%20Photo%202;%20Overall%20view%20of%20right%20wing.-Master.PDF - NTSB Digital Photo 3; Closeup of primary burn area. (item 5, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40297101&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Digital%20Photo%203;%20Closeup%20of%20primary%20burn%20area.-Master.PDF 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.