- Date
- October 24, 1989, 01:38 local (06:38 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N950JPBeech 58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891024042499A
- Case key
- 22998
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
A fuel tank leak, arcing from the exterior lighting system, and failure of company/maintenance personnel to comply with an airworthiness directive (AD).
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
After the pilot was cleared for takeoff, he activated the strobe lights and transponder. Approximately 2 to 5 seconds later, a minor explosion occurred and fire engulfed the right wing. The airplane had a recent history of fuel leaks in the right wing. A review of the maintenance records revealed that airworthiness directive (AD) 74-24-03 had not been accomplished. The AD stated, 'to preclude possible ignition of flammable fluids and vapors by arcing between the strobe light and aircraft structure, deactivate the strobe light system.' The operator's approved aircraft inspection program (aaip) did not address fuel systems and related components. The FAA subsequently issued directives revising the operator's aaip to include routine inspections of fuel systems and related components.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N950JP
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH432
- Airframe hours
- 3,791
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Exchange
- Registered owner
- Donald C. Auclair
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 16, 1989 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- SAT
- Destination
- DAL · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SAT · San Antonio Intl, runway 3, 7,505 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 200 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 63 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.