- Date
- February 6, 1985, 09:43 local (15:43 UTC)
- Place
- Altus, OK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N5780MCessna 402B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19850206069939A
- Case key
- 21526
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
During an eng start, prior to the flt, the l eng backfired 2 or 3 times. A witness described the 1st backfired as 'the loudest I have ever heard.' When the acft took off, two persons living near the departure end of the rwy noted that the acft (believed to be the same) sounded different & had a 'cluttering sound. 'While climbing, the plt declared an emergency & reported a fire in the l eng. He was vectored toward Altus afb while dscndg in IFR conditions. He dscndd into VFR conditions & saw the arpt about 3 mi away. A witness saw smoke & fire trailing from the vicinity of the l eng. He stated that the acft's nose came up, the plane rolled to the left, then it entered a steep, nose down, inverted attitude just before it crashed & burned. An exam revealed the eng exhaust mainifold header assy had failed & allowed hot exhaust gases to escape in the eng nacelle in the vicinity of fuel & oil lines. Corrosion had progressed thru the header assy. AD 75-23-08 reqd gen inspn, but contained note 'do not remove clamps.' No record of replacement in 6100 hrs
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5780M
- Reported as
- Cessna 402B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402B-0348
- Airframe hours
- 6,100
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Altus Airline, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Altus Airline, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 10, 1985 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- AXS · Altus, OK
- Destination
- OKC · Oklahoma City, OK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LTS · Altus Afb, runway 17
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,227 total · 643 in this make and model · 3,762 as pilot in command · 71 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LTS, 15 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.