# NTSB CEN22LA072: American Legend AL18, N1477D, Abbeville, LA, December 12, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 12, 2021, 13:50 local (19:50 UTC) - Place: Abbeville, LA - Coordinates: 29.9747, -92.1343 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9747&lon=-92.1343&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 104404 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA072 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104404/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104404 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA072 ## Probable cause An electrical fire for reasons that could not be determined. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Electrical power system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Unknown/Not determined; cases with it: [American Legend AL18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md?model=0600085), [All aircraft, 48 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [American Legend AL18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=0600085), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Electrical system malf/failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332) (defining event); cases with it: [American Legend AL18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md?model=0600085), [All aircraft, 182 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/332/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150); cases with it: [American Legend AL18, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=0600085), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that after takeoff, he turned onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and smelled an electrical odor. He continued to land, stopped the airplane, and shut off the engine and electrical systems. As he tried to determine where the smell originated, he saw smoke from the rear seat area and then he saw flames from the left side of the airplane. He exited the airplane and it continued to burn. The airplane sustained fire damage to the fuselage and both wings. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he noted that the only electrical components he was aware of in the area where he first saw the smoke was near the electronic connector for his active noise-cancelling headset. Due to the amount of fire damage, it was not possible to determine the source of the electrical fire. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1477D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1477D-2022-07-09), registration cancelled 2022-07-09, S/N AL-1238, built 2021 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMERICAN LEGEND AIRCRAFT CO AL18 - Registry model: [American Legend AL18](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-legend-al18) (registry code 0600085) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental OX-340 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-ox-340-series) (registry code 17489, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: AL-1238 - Year built: 2021 - Engines: CONT MOTOR OX-340 SERIES 180 horsepower - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: Both - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: American Legend Aircraft Co - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, May 28, 2021 - Airport: IYA, Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial Airport, runway 34, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review May 10, 2020; seat: front; flight hours: 2,100 total, 30 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: KIYA, 3 nm away - METAR: METAR KIYA 121955Z AUTO 03007KT 10SM CLR 16/02 A3023 RMK AO2 T01610023= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20211212021179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211212021179A), Dec 12, 2021: American Legend Aircraft Co AL18, Abbeville, LA, Destroyed. On 12/12/2021, PIC [privacy data omitted] departed kiya from runway 34 while operating N1477D, an AL18 aircraft with serial # AL-1238 at approx 1950 UTC. After… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 28, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104404. 732 KB in all. - Pilot statement (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 32 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13669572&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Signed%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot information (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 162 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13670377&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Data_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photos (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 427 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13670297&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photos-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation with pilot (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 111 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13670631&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20CONVERSATION-Rel.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.