- Date
- May 29, 1985, 16:13 local (23:13 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N737YNCessna TR 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850529020469A
- Case key
- 24731
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 initial climb on a dual instructional flight a fire erupted behind the instrument panel & the acft was returned for landing. During roll out 6 inch long flames, smoke & noxious fumes filled the cockpit. When the acft slowed to 10 mph the plts exited the acft & thereafter it was destroyed by fire. Exam of the acft revealed that the 15 amp rated wire 'DA1,' which routes current between the ammeter, the flap switch & the circuit breaker/bus terminal connector had shorted & had fused onto the carburetor head control lever. During manufacture of the acft the wire is not routed against the carb. Heat control lever. However, during maintenance of the nearby gear selector lines wire DA1 could be improperly rerouted & thus pressed against the carburetor control lever which may result in eventual wear & electrical shorting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N737YN
- Reported as
- Cessna TR 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R 18200896
- Airframe hours
- 1,182
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-L3CSD, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Superstition Air Serv., Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1985 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- FFZ · Falcon Fld, runway 4, 3,800 × 75 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
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,550 total · 17 in this make and model · 1,410 as pilot in command · 311 in the last 90 days · 121 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 93 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FFZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.