- Date
- November 6, 1992, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Wahpeton, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N72AWSmith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921106045829A
- Case key
- 15576
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
Other maintenance personnel's improper maintenance (installation).
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
During the initial ground run, the right engine surged, however power was regained and the takeoff continued. During the initial climb, the right engine surged again and the electric fuel boost pump was turned on, but fuel pressure would not stabilize. The pilot performed a precautionary landing. While taxiing a passenger noted a fire in the right engine. The pilot shut down both engines with the mixtures, opened the door, and he and his two passengers evacuated the airplane. The engine fire continued, even though airport personnel and a local fire department applied fire suppressant. The fire was extinguished after the pilot returned to the airplane and turned off the master switch. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the flexible fuel line between the mechanical fuel pump and throttle control body was loose at the fuel pump end.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72AW
- Reported as
- Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601 (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61-0219-095
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Crop View Corp.
- Registered owner
- Crop View Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 22, 1992
- Departed
- BWP
- Destination
- 3SQ · Saint Charles, MO
- Airport
- BWP · Harry Stern
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,040 total · 27 in this make and model · 840 as pilot in command · 101 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR, 40 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.