- Date
- July 7, 1991, 07:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Shoshone, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N29BBBellanca 8KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910707026209A
- Case key
- 27274
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 electrical short of the battery 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
Shortly after takeoff the pilot smelled smoke emanating from the rear of the aircraft near the battery storage area. Moments later fire erupted in the lower left cockpit area. Black smoke from the oil lines began to fill the cockpit and the fire became more intense causing serious burn injuries to the pilot. The pilot was able to return to the departure airport but the burning fire prevented him from maintaining directional control. The battery cable shorted and burnt through the oil and fuel pump lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29BB
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13-72
- Engine
- Lycoming I0-320-E1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven W. Nimcheski
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Nimcheski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1991 · 5 hours before
- Destination
- P10 · Chandler, AZ
- Airport
- L-61 · Shoshone, runway 16, 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 9,100 total · 500 in this make and model · 7,850 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.