- Date
- April 20, 1993, 16:24 local (20:24 UTC)
- Place
- Zephyrhills, FL
- Injuries
- 42 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8056Douglas DC-3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930420009749A
- Case key
- 33258
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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain best single-engine rate-of-climb speed which resulted in a forced landing. A factor which contributed to the accident was a possible exhaust system clamp failure.
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 stated that on initial climb, at about 400 ft AGL, the crew smelled something burning, followed by light smoke in the cabin. Both engines appeared normal visually. The odor and smoke increased, and the left fire warning light illuminated. The left engine was shut down & the prop feathered. The pilot increased power on the right engine; however, the airplane would not climb or maintain airspeed. A gear and flaps up forced landing was made into a field. The pilot stated that he believed an exhaust clamp broke allowing a segment of exhaust to scorch cowling and activate the fire warning system. Examination of the left engine revealed that the lower fire detection elements were fused and broken free, and that the hydraulic lines were burned through.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8056
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25735
- Airframe hours
- 16,891
- Engine
- P&W 1830-75, 1,350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Phoenix Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- Phoenix Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 1993 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- ZPH
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 4,150 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 11 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.