# NTSB NYC97LA135: Cessna 182B, N166KM, Medford, NJ, July 6, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 5, 1997, 20:25 local (Jul 6, 1997, 00:25 UTC) - Place: Medford, NJ - Location: 39.9429° N, 74.8457° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SOUTH JERSEY RGNL (VAY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9429&lon=-74.8457&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 24, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 39394 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC97LA135 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/39394/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=39394 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA135 ## Probable cause An inflight engine fire of undetermined origin. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Fire/explosion, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - powerplant - fire - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Hard landing, landing - Nose over, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis The pilot had flown three circuits in the traffic pattern before he landed and shut the engine down to await hot air balloon traffic to depart the area. According to the pilot, '(The engine) was running great. Everything sounded normal and looked normal. About half way down on final I heard something between a bang and a thump. I don't know where it came from. The aircraft tried to nose up - started to pitch up, so I pushed the nose down. I didn't touch the throttle because I didn't want it to pitch up. I lost some altitude in a critical spot [and] struck the nose gear on the end of the runway. We went skidding down the runway on the nose. There were sparks and then out and out flames.' According to a witness, 'After they waited for the balloons, they did a fourth pattern. They were coming in on final when I heard a 'pow' noise - a loud 'pop'. After the 'pop', the plane came down like someone dropping a ball. I saw flames coming out of the cowlings while it was still in the air. The airplane touched down and the [nose] wheel popped back. The airplane slid for a short ways on the nose with the tail up in the air. Then the flames came from underneath and around the cabin.' Extensive fire damage precluded determination of the origin or what initiated the fire. ## Factual narrative On July 5, 1997, at 2025 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182B, N166KM, was destroyed during a forced landing and subsequent fire at the South Jersey Regional Airport (VAY), Medford, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that originated at VAY, at 2015. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a telephone interview, the pilot reported that he took off from VAY, about 2000, and flew three traffic patterns. After the third traffic pattern, he landed the airplane, shut down the engine, and waited for three hot air balloons to cross over the airport. The balloons departed the area and the pilot restarted the engine and flew a fourth pattern. When describing the performance of the airplane, the pilot said: "It was running great. Everything sounded normal and looked normal. About half way down on final I heard something between a bang and a thump. I don't know where it came from. The aircraft tried to nose up - started to pitch up, so I pushed the nose down. I didn't touch the throttle because I didn't want it to pitch up. I lost some altitude in a critical spot [and] struck the nose gear on the end of the runway. We went skidding down the runway on the nose. There were sparks and then out and out flames. I yelled for everyone to get out and within 2 minutes [the plane] was completely gone." A witness on the airport was watching N166KM through binoculars. Her son was a passenger on the airplane. In a telephone interview the witness reported: "After they waited for the balloons, they did a fourth pattern. They were coming in on final when I heard a 'pow' noise - a loud 'pop'. After the 'pop', the plane came down like someone dropping a ball. I saw flames coming out of the cowlings while it was still in the air. The airplane touched down and the [nose] wheel popped back. The airplane slid for a short ways on the nose with the tail up in the air. Then the flames came from underneath and around the cabin." The witness reported that the three occupants climbed from the airplane uninjured and that the airplane was consumed by fire in less than 2 minutes. Examination of the wreckage by an Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed: "Flames consumed the aircraft within approximately 2-3 minutes completely destroying the aircraft and engine leaving this inspector with an aircraft and engine of ashes." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N166KM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N166KM-1998-12-22), registration cancelled 1998-12-22, S/N 51646 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182B - Registry model: [Cessna 182B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182b) (registry code 2072706) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 51646 - Airframe hours: 3362 - Engines: Continental O-470-L 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: In-Flight - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John F. Stollsteimer - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 30, 1997, 20 hours before - Departed: VAY - Airport: VAY, South Jersey Regional, runway 26, 3,911 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 53; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 1,160 total, 800 in this make and model, 960 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 5 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: WRI, 28 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970705016909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970705016909A), Jul 5, 1997: Cessna 182B, Mount Holly, NJ, Destroyed. Aircraft was landing, touched down, pilot and passengers exited, caught fire and burned to ground. (.19) on July 5, 1997, at 2025 eastern daylight time, a… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 1998, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=39394. 626 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 369 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40419664&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Supplement S (item 2, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40419665&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Redacted.PDF - FAA Report (item 3, .PDF, 85 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40078335&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Report-Master.PDF - Records of Telephone Interview (item 4, .PDF, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40078336&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Records%20of%20Telephone%20Interview-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.