- Date
- April 23, 1991, 12:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Millard, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5421ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910423012099A
- Case key
- 15050
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
Improper use of APU by unknown personnel which resulted in the airplane's electrical wiring melting and subsequent short.
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 pilot said that shortly after takeoff, an electrical fire erupted under the passenger's seat. An emergency landing was made which resulted in damage to the airplane. The airplane was destroyed by a post-landing fire. Post-accident investigation revealed that the airplane had been started with a 24 volt boost instead of a 12 volt boost which resulted in melted wires and the subsequent short and fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5421Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-9194
- Airframe hours
- 2,204
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dale E. Frimodt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1990
- Departed
- MLE · Millard, NE
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 146 total · 145 in this make and model · 107 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- OMA, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.