- Date
- August 17, 1993, 16:04 local (23:04 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N333KMGlassair SH-2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930817029619A
- Case key
- 28450
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 improper maintenance by the pilot the night before the accident which resulted in an oil line leak near the airplane's exhaust system.
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 changed the airplane's engine oil the night before the flight. After takeoff, an inflight fire erupted in the engine compartment. The post flight examination of the airplane's oil temperature sending unit line to the gauge was found damaged at a crimped fitting. The pilot believes the damage was caused by him during the engine oil change.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1993, at 1604 hours Pacific daylight time, a Glassair SH-2R, N333KM, landed gear up on Runway 12L at Meadows Field, Bakersfield, California, after experiencing an inflight fire. The pilot was conducting a local visual flight rules personal flight to Fresno, California. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Meadows Field at 1600 hours.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. The inspector reported that the source of the fire appeared to be from a 1/4 inch rubber hose attached to the intake side of the number 1 cylinder. The line was traced through the airplane's firewall to another manifold behind the instrument panel. The line is believed to belong to the oil gauge.
The pilot reported during a telephone interview that he had changed the airplane's engine oil the night before. The pilot stated he believes that he inadvertently damaged a crimped line while changing the oil. Post flight inspection of the airplane by the pilot revealed the engine oil temperature line had disconnected at the crimped fitting near the airplane's exhaust system.
The pilot reported that he landed the airplane gear up due to a loss of electrical power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333KM
- Reported as
- Glassair SH-2R
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 586
- Airframe hours
- 685
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jones, Donald D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1993 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- BFL
- Airport
- BFL · Meadows Field, runway 12L, 10,857 × 150 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,821 total · 466 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.