- Date
- February 28, 1985, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Butte, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N98487Cessna 421C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850228030089A
- Case key
- 16648
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
While in level flt the plt noticed a puff of smoke emit from the left engine, followed by the appearance of hydraulic fluid and the illumination of the left and right hydraulic flow lights. The plt lowered the landing gear during the apch, however, the nose gear did not extend. Flames were then noticed burning through the top of the left engine cowling. The plt secured the engine, used the emergency extension for the nose gear and landed the acft. Investigation revealed the fire started from hydraulic fluid which sprayed from a broken hydraulic line onto the supercharger. A swivel hose aluminum fitting, p/n AE70101JZ174, on the hydraulic line failed for undetermined reasons.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98487
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C-0065
- Airframe hours
- 260
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520L, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C & M Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 15, 1984 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- Oakland, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,511 total · 40 in this make and model · 7,161 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.