- Date
- February 17, 1991, 15:41 local (23:41 UTC)
- Place
- Watsonville, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9048Curtiss-Wright E-4000
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910217002509A
- Case key
- 27116
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
The inadequate design and length of the tailwheel assembly cable.
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
The pilot landed the airplane and taxied off the runway when smoke emanated from the lower right front area beneath the electrical junction box. The pilot stopped the airplane and he and the passengers immediately exited the airplane. Moments later flames consumed the fabric covered airplane. Examination of the wreckage disclosed that the stainless steel tailwheel assy cable contained considerable slack which allowed it to contact the electrical junction box during a turn. This inadequate design and routing caused it to fuse and short the electrical system. The slack is not noticeable when the tailwheel is not turned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9048
- Reported as
- Curtiss-Wright E-4000
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 849
- Airframe hours
- 5,004
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul King, doing business as Biplane Leasing
- Registered owner
- Paul King
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 18, 1991 · 14 hours before
- Airport
- WVI · Watsonville
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 648 total · 78 in this make and model · 599 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.