Piper PA-31-325 N59749

Summary

On 2 June 1982 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-31-325 registered N59749, operated by Clarence Roberts/Roberts Avia., was involved in an incident near Asheboro, North Carolina, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 June 1982 at 23:40

Classification

Incident

Location

Asheboro, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.7099, -79.8109

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-325

Registration

N59749

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Clarence Roberts/Roberts Avia.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charlotte → Rocky Mount

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ATL82IA159

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING CRUISE AT 5000 FT THE PILOT SMELLED ELECTRICAL FUMES AND NOTICED SMOKE FILLING THE FLAP INDICATOR GAUGE. HE PULLED THE WING FLAP CIRCUIT BREAKER BUT MOMENTS LATER VOLUMES OF SMOKE AROSE FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WITH FLAMES OBSERVED BEHIND THE PANEL. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO ASHEBORO AFTER HIS DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER PROVED INEFFECTIVE IN FIGHTING THE FIRE. THE FLAMES DIED OUT AFTER LANDING. FIRE DAMAGE WAS CONTAINED TO THE FLAP INDICATOR BUT HEAT DAMAGE PRECLUDED A DETERMINATION OF THE REASON FOR AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE FLAP INDICATOR HAD BEEN MODIFIED 216 HRS PREVIOUSLY BUT THE MOD DID NOT INVOLVE THE WIRING. THE FLAP INDICATOR IS PROTECTED BY THE STARTER CIRCUIT BREAKER. THIS INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN THE WIRING DIAGRAMS BUT NOT IN THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FLAP OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.