Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Zephyrhills, Florida 33540
Tuesady, April 20, 1993 16:24 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED THAT ON INITIAL CLIMB, AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL, THE CREW SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, FOLLOWED BY LIGHT SMOKE IN THE CABIN. BOTH ENGINES APPEARED NORMAL VISUALLY. THE ODOR AND SMOKE INCREASED, AND THE LEFT FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN & THE PROP FEATHERED. THE PILOT INCREASED POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB OR MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. A GEAR AND FLAPS UP FORCED LANDING WAS MADE INTO A FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BELIEVED AN EXHAUST CLAMP BROKE ALLOWING A SEGMENT OF EXHAUST TO SCORCH COWLING AND ACTIVATE THE FIRE WARNING SYSTEM. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE LOWER FIRE DETECTION ELEMENTS WERE FUSED AND BROKEN FREE, AND THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINES WERE BURNED THROUGH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN BEST SINGLE-ENGINE RATE-OF-CLIMB SPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A POSSIBLE EXHAUST SYSTEM CLAMP FAILURE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/20/1993
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1624
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ZEPHYRHILLS
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33540
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1651 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 210
Weather Observation Facility ID TPA
Elevation of weather observation facility 27
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 12000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
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 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 42
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 499
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 20 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1715
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52752
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:15PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8056
NTSB Number MIA93LA106
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name DOUGLAS
Aircraft Model DC-3C
Aircraft Series Identifier DC-3C
Aircraft Serial Number 25735
Certified Max Gross Weight 26900
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 42
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 16 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 15
Airframe Hours 16891
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PHOENIX AIR INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O.BOX 1484
Aircraft Owner City ZEPHYRHILLS
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33539
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PHOENIX AIR INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 1484
Operator City ZEPHYRHILLS
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33539
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code ZPH
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1622
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --