Danbury Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Danbury, Connecticut 06812
Tuesady, January 16, 1990 15:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CESSNA 172 WAS INVOLVED IN A CARBURETOR FIRE ON 1/13/90 & TAKEN TO A HANGAR WHERE THE AIR CLEANER & CARBURETOR WERE REMOVED. THE FUEL LINE WAS NOT CAPPED & THE LOWER COWLING WAS REATTACHED WITH ONLY TWO SCREWS HOLDING IT. NO PLACARD WAS PLACED IN THE COCKPIT NOR WAS THE KEY MADE UNAVAILABLE FOR RENTAL. THE PLANE WAS RETURNED TO THE LINE FOR PARKING. THREE DAYS LATER, A PILOT CAME TO THE AIRPORT, ASKED THE ATTENDANT FOR THE KEY & PROCEEDED TO THE PLANE. HE SAID HE MADE A PREFLIGHT 'USING THE MANUAL.' HE THEN ENTERED THE COCKPIT & ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, A FIRE ERUPTED & THE PLT EXITED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE FIRE, RECEIVING BURNS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE BY THE COMPANY/OPERATOR, AND INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE DURING AN ATTEMPTED ENGINE START. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE UNSECURED FUEL LINE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/16/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1515
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City DANBURY
Event State CONNECTICUT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 06812
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport DANBURY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DXR
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 457
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1515 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID DXR
Elevation of weather observation facility 457
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1102
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 16 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1620
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42322
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:08AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9093H
NTSB Number NYC90LA056
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172
Aircraft Series Identifier 172
Aircraft Serial Number 17265939
Certified Max Gross Weight 2400
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN R. STANTON
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 2776
Aircraft Owner City DANBURY
Aircraft Owner State CT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96813
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RELIANT PILOT TRAINING CENTER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address DANBURY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
Operator City DANBURY
Operator State CT
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 06810
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
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 Standing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:08AM
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 --