Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wichita Falls Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wichita Falls, Texas 76311
Monday, September 14, 1987 14:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT AFTER LANDING AT THE WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS AIRPORT. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE RIGHT WING EXPLODED DURING THE LAST ATTEMPTED ENGINE RESTART. DAMAGE WAS CONCENTRATED IN THE RIGHT WING BETWEEN THE ENGINE NACELLE AND THE MAIN FUEL TANK. THERE WAS NO FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPLOSION. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE EXPLOSION ORIGINATED AT THE ENGINE AREA AND HAD EMANATED FROM WITHIN THE WING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE AUX TANKS DURING THE FLIGHT. BEFORE LANDING, HE HAD SWITCHED BACK TO THE MAIN TANKS. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR AT THE SCENE, THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND 'OVERFILLED BEYOND THE FILLER OPENINGS.' THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL OPERATING TIME ON MAIN TANKS PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO AUX TANKS. THE OVERFLOW FROM ENGINES RETURNS TO THE MAIN TANKS ONLY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/14/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76311 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WICHITA FALLS |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SPS |
| 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 | 1015 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SPS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1015 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2353 |
| 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) | 1747 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35092 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6249Q |
| NTSB Number | FTW87LA217 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 401A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 401A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 401A0049 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6300 |
| 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 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 24 1986 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 85 |
| Airframe Hours | 3860 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEORGE W. PLUMLY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1386 C CRESCENT |
| Aircraft Owner City | GRANDBURY |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76048 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MARTINAIR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2850 BURBANK |
| Operator City | DALLAS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75235 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DAL |
| Departure City | DALLAS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 7001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |