- Date
- September 30, 1987, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ames, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2UECessna 401
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870930082029A
- Case key
- 34449
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
The unsked pax flt was climbing to cruise altitude having just deptd Ames, IA, when the PIC noticed a fire in the left eng. The PIC aborted the climb and returned to Ames. The left eng was secured before lndg which was uneventful. A post-fire insp of the eng compartment revealed a separated portion of the exhaust near the turbocharger unit. Separation of the components allowed hot exhaust gases to melt a fuel return line which caught fire. The acft was inspected 50 flt hrs prior to the inflt fire and was determined to be airworthy.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2UE
- Reported as
- Cessna 401
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0022
- Airframe hours
- 4,280
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Jet Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Naeir
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AMW
- Destination
- GBG · Galesburg, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,050 total · 110 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DSM, 25 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.