- Date
- July 2, 1988, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Washington, DC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6286UCessna T210R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11384
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
Improper maintenance resulting in the routing of wire which caused an electrical short and inflight smoke.
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 plt experienced smoke in the cockpit which he stated came from underneath the instrument panel. According to the plt, the trim tab switch became inoperative, the flight controls became 'heavy' and the wx radar circuit breaker popped even though the radar was off. The plt stated the smoke eventually stopped and he continued to the destination and landed without incident. Examination of the acft revealed that inside the right wing, near the root section, the wires for the nav lite, strobe lite, and fuel quantity transmitter shorted and burned. The wires were next to a fuel ventline that had been changed. Review of maintenance records disclosed that about 3 yrs ago a radar pod and radome were installed which involved routing of wires through the area where the shorted wires were located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6286U
- Reported as
- Cessna T210R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21064930
- Airframe hours
- 234
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-CE, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph E. Butler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 23, 1987 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- GED · Georgetown, DE
- Destination
- IAD · Washington, DC
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD