- Date
- September 6, 2000, 09:52 local (14:52 UTC)
- Place
- Bethany, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N84DEBeech BE58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000906014679A
- Case key
- 50207
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
the fire, which ignited in the engine compartment for undetermined reasons while taxiing.
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 commercial pilot made an uneventful landing and was taxiing the twin-engine airplane off of the runway when the right engine lost power. The pilot restarted the engine; however, the engine soon lost power again. The pilot was attempting a third start when the passenger noticed a fire near the right wing engine compartment. The pilot stated that he pulled the right engine mixture to idle cut-off and continued cranking the engine in an attempt to suck the fire into the intake manifold. The fire continued to burn, and the pilot and passenger exited the aircraft and attempted to find help. The fire extinguished on its own accord. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, and a mechanic, who examined the aircraft after the event, there was no evidence of ruptured fuel lines or loose fittings.
Factual narrative
On September 06, 2000, at 0952 central daylight time, a Beech BE58 twin-engine airplane, N84DE, was substantially damaged when the right wing sustained fire damage while taxiing after landing at the Wiley Post Airport, near Bethany, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Davidson Transport, Inc., of Ruston, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The local flight originated from the Will Rogers World Airport, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
During a telephone interview conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was flying the airplane to the Wiley Post Airport so the nose radome cover could be painted. The pilot stated that the landing was uneventful, and he was taxiing the airplane off of the runway when the right engine lost power. The pilot restarted the engine; however, the engine soon lost power again. The pilot was attempting a third start when the passenger noticed a fire near the right wing engine compartment. The pilot stated that he pulled the right engine mixture to idle cut-off and continued cranking the engine in an attempt to suck the fire into the intake manifold. The fire continued to burn and the pilot and passenger exited the aircraft and attempted to find help. The fire extinguished on its own accord.
The airplane's fuselage and right wing sustained structural damage as a result of the fire. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, and a mechanic, who examined the aircraft after the event, there was no evidence of ruptured fuel lines or loose fittings.
Numerous attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) from the pilot were unsuccessful.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84DE
- Reported as
- Beech BE58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH-1398
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Davidson Transport
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OKC · Oklahoma City, OK
- Destination
- PWA · OK
- Airport
- PWA · Wiley Post
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
- 47
- 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
- 4,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 167 °F, dew point 142 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.