- Date
- May 28, 1982, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Charles, LA
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N222SAPiper PA-31P-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820528054219I
- Case key
- 71315
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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 cruising at FL200 in VMC conditions, the pilot smelled and then observed smoke coming from the windshield defrosters and under the instrument panel. He advised houston center of his situation, then turned off all electrical equipment and made an uneventful descent and landing at Lake Charles, LA. Investigation revealed that one of the three resistors in the cigar lighter resistor assembly had overheated and burned through the phenolic backing on which it was mounted. After burning the backing, the heat burned about 2 feet of black rubber vacuum tubing. Research revealed that Piper had issued service bulletin (sb) #654 on this part. The sb called for the removal of these assemblies from all PA-31, 31-325 and 31-350 aircraft after a similar incident in June of 1980. The service bulletin and subsequent AD 79/20/07 did not address the same resistors installed in PA-31P aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222SA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31P-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31P-7400203
- Airframe hours
- 2,052
- Engine
- P & W PT-6-135, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Z-Rider Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Julian E. Fernandez
- Departed
- Lafayette, LA
- Destination
- Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,056 total · 36 in this make and model · 2,161 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 25 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LCH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.