# NTSB CHI98LA041: Beech 95-B55, N3681K, Burlington, KS, November 20, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 20, 1997, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC) - Place: Burlington, KS - Coordinates: 38.190013, -95.740135 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1900&lon=-95.7401&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 30, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10785 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI98LA041 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10785/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA041 ## Probable cause an undetermined event resulting in the door seal inflation pump catching fire, the pilot's failure to close the cockpit air vents allowing heat and flames from the airplane's nose section to melt electrical wiring behind the instrument panel, and the pilot overshooting the road during his precautionary landing. A factor contributing to this accident was the trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Fire, cruise - air cond/heating/pressurization - undetermined (cause) - emergency procedure - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - electrical system,electric wiring - melted (cause) - In flight collision with object, emergency landing - precautionary landing - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency landing ## Analysis The pilot said they were about 40 minutes into their flight when 'my passenger and I heard the pneumatic door seal give way.' He recycled the switch, but nothing happened. A few minutes later, the pilot and passenger noticed 'the faint smell of electrical burn.' The pilot switched the heater off and the smell seemed to subside. He switched the heater back on and noticed a stronger smell immediately. Black smoke began to enter the cabin from above and beneath the instrument panel. The pilot said that as he reached for the throttle, he noticed 'that there was orange spark and flame under the panel.' He initiated a steep descent and began looking for a place to land. He located a north-south running dirt road, and initiated a 180-degree turn to land. The pilot overshot the road and decided that he didn't have enough altitude and airspeed to maneuver back to the road. He leveled the airplane and landed in a field. During the landing, the airplane encountered uneven (rising) terrain and trees. An exam of the airplane revealed the door seal inflation pump was heavily charred. An exam of the cabin revealed the door inflation seal around the cabin door was missing, both forward air vents were in the open position, and plastic insulation surrounding electrical wiring in front of the right air vent was melted. Melted plastic was observed on the floor, beneath the right side air vent. No other anomaly was found. ## Factual narrative On November 20, 1997, at 0830 central standard time (cst), a Beech 95-B55, N3681K, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when during cruise flight, smoke entered the cabin. During the subsequent precautionary landing into an unimproved field, the airplane impacted some trees and the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane reported no injuries. The cross- country flight originated at Rogers, Arkansas, at 0745 cst, and was en route to Concordia, Kansas. In his written statement, the pilot said that they were approximately 40 minutes into their flight when "my passenger and I heard the pneumatic door seal give way." The pilot recycled the switch, but nothing happened. A few minutes later, the pilot and passenger noticed "the faint smell of electrical burn." The pilot switched the heater off and the smell seemed to subside. The pilot switched the heater back on and noticed a stronger smell immediately. Black smoke began to enter the cabin from above and beneath the instrument panel. The pilot said that as he reached for the throttle, he noticed "that there was orange spark and flame under the panel." The pilot initiated a steep descent and began looking for a place to land. The pilot located a north-south running dirt road, and initiated a 180-degree turn to land. The pilot said that his descent rate was higher than he was used to, and that he miscalculated the turn to line up on the road. The pilot began to turn back to the road, but then noted that he didn't have enough altitude and airspeed. The pilot leveled the airplane and then landed in the field in front of them. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the wreckage at the site, found the airplane resting upright in an uncultivated field. A ground scar was observed on a 15-degree upsloping hill and preceded along a 210-degree magnetic heading between two stands of cedar trees. Several of the trees showed impact damage. The airplane was resting south of the trees and oriented on a 150-degree heading. The outboard 18 inches of the right wing, wingtip and aileron were broken off and resting near the trees. The left wing was crushed inward along the outboard leading edge. The fuselage showed upward crushing along the bottom. The cabin and forward fuselage was found intact. The nose gear was hyperextended and broken forward. The left main landing gear was broken off. The right main landing gear was broken and twisted 90 degrees. The right horizontal stabilizer was bent upward and aft. Both propellers showed torsional bending and chordwise scratches. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were observed with the engines, engine controls or propeller controls. Examination of the nose compartment bulkhead showed that the door seal inflation pump, mounted on the top, front-side of the bulkhead, was heavily charred. Charring and discoloration were observed on the metal bulkhead behind and around the pump. Examination of the cabin revealed that the door inflation seal around the cabin door was gone. Both air vents, under the instrument panel, in the forward cabin, were found in the open position. Plastic insulation surrounding electrical wiring in front of the right air vent was melted. Melted plastic was observed on the floor, beneath the right side air vent, in front of the right front seat. No other anomalies were found with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3681K](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3681K-2015-07-21), registration cancelled 2015-07-21, S/N TC-2339, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech 95-B55 - Registry model: [Beech 95-B55 (T42A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55-t42a) (registry code 1152706) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TC-2339 - Airframe hours: 3077 - Engines: Continental IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: In-Flight - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Sable Technologies, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 7, 1997, 107 hours before - Departed: ROG, ROGERS, AR - Destination: CNK, CONCORDIA, KS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 1,323 total, 201 in this make and model, 1,258 as pilot in command, 38 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 16 knots - Visibility: 8 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: EMP, 19 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19971120034179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971120034179A), Nov 20, 1997: Beech 95B55, Burlington, KS, Substantial damage. Narrative: on November 20, 1997, at 0830 central standard time (CST), a Beech 95-B55, N3681K, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when… 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.