- Date
- September 18, 2009, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coffeyville, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N81167Mcclish Funk B85C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Fire/smoke (non-impact)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090918022139A
- Case key
- 74764
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.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Following a run-up, the pilot and passenger departed in the single-engine airplane. Shortly after reaching 800 feet in altitude, the pilot observed orange flames in the area of the glare shield. The pilot elected to pull the engine throttle to idle, switched off the ignition switch, and performed a dead-stick landing. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted before the airplane was engulfed in flames. The pilot reported that the logbooks were in the airplane at the time of the fire, and was unsure when the last annual inspection was performed. An examination after the accident revealed that the airplane's fabric covering was fully consumed in the ensuing fire. Due to the extent of the damage, the fire's ignition source was not located.
Factual narrative
On September 18, 2009, about 1430 central daylight time, a McClish Funk B85C airplane, N81167, was destroyed following a cockpit fire during initial climb and a subsequent successful landing at the Coffeyville Municipal Airport (CFV), Coffeyville, Kansas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local flight. According to the pilot, following a "normal" run-up he departed from runway 04. Shortly after reaching 800 feet in altitude, the pilot observed orange flames in the area of the glare shield. The pilot elected to pull the engine throttle to idle, switched off the ignition switch, and performed a dead stick landing to runway 36. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted before the airplane was engulfed in flames. The pilot did not hold a current medical and his last bi-annual flight review was on June 26, 2006. The pilot reported that the logbooks were in the airplane at the time of the fire, and was unsure when the last annual inspection was performed. An examination after the accident revealed that the airplane's fabric covering was fully consumed in the ensuing fire. The fire's ignition source was not located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81167
- Reported as
- Mcclish Funk B85C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 297
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CFV · Coffeyville, KS
- Destination
- CFV · Coffeyville, KS
- Airport
- CFV · Coffeyville Municipal, runway 35, 5,872 × 100 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,500 total · 10,000 in this make and model · 18,500 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.