Volk Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Oakdale, Wisconsin 54660
Wednesday, September 16, 1998 7:45 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

At 8,100 feet mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported smoke coming from the aircraft at 0739:32 central daylight time. At 0743:14, the aircraft altitude was 3,000 feet msl. The last received transmission by the pilot was at 0743:01. The Beech 58 Pilot's operating manual, states, under ELECTRICAL SMOKE OR FIRE, that the Battery and Alternator Switches are to be selected in the OFF position. A resistor, similar in size, shape and color to two of the resistors in the door seal inflation system was found attached to the right cabin side wall. The area surrounding the resistor revealed that a black material attached to the interior side wall was absent. There was bubbling of the black material and outside paint. Black material similar to the material on the side wall was also present on the bottom of the resistor. Installation instructions referencing the resistor, state, 'mount to metal structure for heat sink'. An emergency descent from an altitude of 8,000 feet msl was performed in a flight training simulator and a descent rate of approximately 6,200 feet per minute was obtained. A simulated off airport landing, in a simulator, was completed in approximately 02:15 minutes. Airworthiness Directive 98-21-21 has been issued for the deactivating or the removing of all provisions of the inflatable door seal installation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The installation of the door seal inflation system by company personnel. An additional cause was the emergency procedures not followed by the pilot-in-command. A contributing factor was the trees.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/16/1998
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 745
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City OAKDALE
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 54660
Event Date Year 1998
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport VOLK FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID VOK
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 13
Degrees magnetic from airport 295
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 755 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 295
Weather Observation Facility ID VOK
Elevation of weather observation facility 910
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1704
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 16 1998 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 820
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 11:45AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4574Q
NTSB Number CHI98FA349
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Unknown
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model 58
Aircraft Series Identifier 58
Aircraft Serial Number TH-374
Certified Max Gross Weight 5424
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jul 2 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 32
Airframe Hours 7735
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STATE OF WISCONSIN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3400 MILLER STREET
Aircraft Owner City MADISON
Aircraft Owner State WI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 53704
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MSN
Departure City MADISON
Departure State WI
Departure Country
Departure Time 653
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RZN
Destination City SIREN
Destination State WI
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --