- Date
- October 30, 2001, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Wilmington, DE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N90688Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20011030036829A
- Case key
- 53910
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 ruptured oil line, which resulted in oil spraying onto the APU exhaust and a subsequent fire.
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
While taxiing, the pilot noticed smoke emanating from the right side of the airplane. He shut down the engine, activated the emergency fire suppression system, and exited the airplane. Examination of the airplane after the fire revealed that an oil line from the APU had ruptured, and sprayed oil on the APU's exhaust pipe.
Factual narrative
On October 30, 2001, at 1635 eastern standard time, an Aero Vodochody L-39C, N90688, was substantially damaged when it caught fire while taxiing at New Castle County Airport (ILG), Wilmington, Delaware. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A visual flight rules flight plan was on file for the flight, to Canandaigua Airport (D38), Canandaigua, New York. The personal flight was to be conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he flew to Wilmington earlier in the day to have the airplane's brakes checked. After the inspection, he prepared for departure, and had the airplane turned into the wind. The start sequence was normal, and afterwards, he began to taxi the airplane to the active runway. According to the pilot:
"As I was taxiing, I received a light indicating electrical failure and RAT displayed. I also noticed smoke coming from the right side of the aircraft. The control tower then radioed and asked if the plane was all right because they saw smoke as well. As I answered, total electrical failure occurred. At this point, I hit fuel cutoff, shut down the engine, and engaged the emergency fire suppression system and exited the aircraft."
According to the maintenance technician who inspected the airplane after the fire, an oil line from the auxiliary power unit (APU) had ruptured, and sprayed oil onto the APU's exhaust pipe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90688
- Reported as
- Aero Vodochody Aero. Works L-39C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 430424
- Airframe hours
- 2,675.2
- Engine
- Ivchenko AI-25, 3,800 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- DeWight Cartwright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 25, 2001 · 52.7 hours before
- Departed
- ILG · DE
- Destination
- D38 · Canadaigua, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ILG · New Castle County
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,079 total · 60 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.