Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Opa Locka Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Opa Locka, Florida 33054
Thursday, May 2, 1996 10:52 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During departure, the rubber connector for the fuel supply line to the right engine oil dilution valve split at the dilution valve on the aft side of the firewall. The engine would not operate unless the electric boost pump was turned on. While returning to the departure airport, a fire erupted in the right wheel after the landing gear was extended. The cockpit filled with smoke during the landing rollout, and the pilot lost directional control do to not being able to see. The aircraft rolled into a canal and came to rest. The split rubber fuel line connector was dry and brittle and did not have any fire damage. No other sources of fuel leakage was found.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate inspection of the fuel line connector by company maintenance personnel, and failure of a connector resulting in a fuel leak and fire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/2/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1052 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | OPA LOCKA |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33054 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | OPA LOCKA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OPF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 9 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OPF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 489 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 2 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1320 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N64819 |
| NTSB Number | MIA96LA136 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | UC45J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UC45J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52-3762 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 24 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 14 |
| Airframe Hours | 4254 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AERO CARIBE EXPRESS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4213 SW 74TH AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | MIAMI |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33150 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SKY CHARTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 14980 NW 44TH COURT, BLDG 137 |
| Operator City | OPA LOCKA |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 33054 |
| Operator Code | OSYA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | OPF |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FXE |
| Destination City | FT. LAUDERDALE |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9L |
| Runway Length | 8002 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |