- Date
- April 20, 1985, 21:20 local (Apr 21, 1985, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Janesville, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N68VBeech E18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850420015759A
- Case key
- 12829
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
On April 20,1985 at approx. 2100HRS local time a Beechcraft model E185 N68Y owned and operated by blackhawk airways inc. was conducting a normal runup in preparation for a flight from Janesville, WI. (Jvl) to chicago IL. (Ord). At the completion of the of the runup,but prior to taking the runway for takeoff fire was discovered in the vicinity of the left engine. After advising the Janesville control tower of the problem and requesting assistance, the pilot attempted to blow the fire out and after being unsuccessful, secured both engines and eexited the aircraft along with his passenger. The fire was estinguished by airport firefighting equipment assisted by units of the beloit, WI. Fire dept. Source of fire appears to be from a fuel line, but exact source undetermined due to fire damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68V
- Reported as
- Beech E18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA-282
- Airframe hours
- 11,134
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- J. Richard Wixom, doing business as Blackhawk Airways,Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 3, 1985 · 40 hours before
- Destination
- ORD · Chicago, IL
- 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,834 total · 86 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JVL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N68V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.