- Date
- October 29, 1989, 02:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Little Rock, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6382XCessna 402B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891029043369A
- Case key
- 34874
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
A leak in the aircraft's fuel system which resulted in an in-flight fire. The origin of the fuel leak was not determined.
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 passenger sitting in the copilot's seat stated that she saw fire coming from the right wing and engine area. She stated that she could see a bright 'glow' beneath the skin of the wing. The pilot made a forced landing on a freeway and the aircraft struck a light pole on the highway median. Heavy fire damage was found in the aft portion of the right engine nacelle & right flap assembly. In addition, heavy fire and soot were evident in the interior of the right wing assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6382X
- Reported as
- Cessna 402B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1345
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Springdale Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 8, 1989
- Departed
- LIT · Little Rock, AR
- Destination
- ASG · Springdale, AR
- 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LIT, 258 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.