- Date
- November 24, 1985, 14:08 local (19:08 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N46LBeech E18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851124057889A
- Case key
- 13346
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
The acft experienced a right eng fire during eng start. The plt reported the right eng would not start during the first attempt. During the second attempt at starting the eng, it started. While running the eng on the primer, the plt heard a loud bang and saw flames coming from the eng. The plt attempted to run the eng to draw the flames into the intake, however, this failed to extinguish the fire. The plt secured the acft and evacuated. The fire was then completely entinguished by the arpt fire dept. Investigation disclosed the right eng carb float assembly was cracked allowing the float to sink. When the fuel boost pump was used for starting the eng the fuel was allowed to flow through the carb into the intake scoop and onto the acft and ground below the acft. The eng backfire, heard by the plt, then ignited the fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46L
- Reported as
- Beech E18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA379
- Engine
- P&W R-985AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Summit City Air Charter, Inc., doing business as National Air Charter
- Registered owner
- Daniel J. Wetli
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 1985 · 192 hours before
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FWA · Baer Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,969 total · 143 in this make and model · 11,660 as pilot in command · 111 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.