- Date
- July 3, 1992, 06:50 local (11:50 UTC)
- Place
- Harlingen, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7616VAero Commander Callair A-9B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920703023579A
- Case key
- 18336
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
An inflight fire due to a loose fuel fitting and fuel line due to improper maintenance.
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 agriculture spraying flight the flag man noticed the airplane on fire. Using his radio he notified the pilot of the situation. The pilot executed a forced landing to an area adjacent to a road. During the landing the main landing gear separated. Following the landing the airplane was consumed by fire. An examination revealed that a fuel line had come loose due to it not being correctly installed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7616V
- Reported as
- Aero Commander Callair A-9B (CALLAIR A-)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1344
- Airframe hours
- 2,888
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-GIC5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Texas Dusting Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Texas Dusting Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 28, 1992 · 88 hours before
- Departed
- XS63 · Rio Hondo, TX
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 88 in this make and model · 575 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7616V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.