- Date
- August 18, 1989, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Concord, AR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N699TBeech V35B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890818033169A
- Case key
- 34855
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
Improper installation of the alternator wiring harness by the pilot/owner which resulted in chafed wiring and a subsequent electrical fire. The uneven terrain was a contributing factor.
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/owner said that while climbing through 9000 ft MSL for 10,000 ft MSL, on an IFR flight plan, he smelled an electrical odor. The cabin began to fill with dense smoke, so he shut off all electrical switches. An emergency descent was made. During the descent, the smoke was substantially cleared from the cabin. The landing gear was extended by using emergency procedures. While landing on rolling terrain, the gear collapsed & the acft was damaged. There was no continuation of fire on the ground. A post-acdnt investigation revealed the owner had improperly installed an alternator wiring harness, which rubbed on the noise suppressor. After it rubbed thru the insulation, an electrical fire erupted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N699T
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9301
- Airframe hours
- 1,250
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-B/BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Graebner, Walter D.
- Registered owner
- Graebner, Walter D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OLV · Olive Branch, MS
- Destination
- ROG · Rogers, AR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 64
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.