- Date
- November 2, 1986, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lucerne Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N70FMAero Commander 520
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861102053369A
- Case key
- 25296
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 a pleasure flt, the plt reported that the right engine caught on fire. The plt made a landing on dry lake bed and disembarked from the plane examination of the wreckage revealed that the path of the landing roll showed no signs of melted metal or debri. There was a large fuel stain visible around the remains of the right wing, right engine and right cowling. The engine components and accessories showed moderate heat distress with no evidence of a blow torch effect. The right wing fuel sump drain valve was located inside a cup of melted aliminum and was in the open position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70FM
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 520
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 147
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-435-C2, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack R. Matison
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 1986 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- L66 · Corona, CA
- Destination
- L66 · Corona, CA
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 200 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °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.