Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bradley International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Windsor Locks, Connecticut 06096
Tuesady, November 18, 2003 17:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after takeoff, at 500-600 feet AGL, the flight crew noticed smoke in the cabin, declared an emergency, and returned to land without incident. After landing, crash fire rescue extinguished a fire in the overhead paneling of a coat closet, which was located directly behind the cockpit. Examination of the airplane revealed extensive heat damage to the overhead paneling around a closet light fixture in the aircraft cabin. Visual examination of the damaged area revealed that electrical wiring and an oxygen line were installed in close proximity to each other in the area of the light fixture. Additionally, examination of the oxygen line revealed a pin-size hole through the circumference of the line with signatures consistent of electrical arcing. Further examination of the light fixture revealed areas of severe localized heating and melting. Examination of maintenance records revealed two entries in the past 12 months, which described the closet light circuit breaker popping during illumination of the light. This occurred as a result of an electrical arcing between the light assembly and an oxygen line. Both instances included installing Teflon tape to protect interference between the assembly and the oxygen line.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An in-flight fire, originating from electrical arcing, which subsequently created a hole in an oxygen line.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 11/18/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Windsor Locks |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06096 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415620N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0724059W |
| Event Location Airport | Bradley International Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BDL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 173 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BDL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 173 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.31 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17207 |
| NTSB Notification Source | BDL FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 18 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1750 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 18 2005 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Windsor Locks FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N14CG |
| NTSB Number | NYC04IA037 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Dassault-Breguet |
| Aircraft Model | Falcon 50 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 100 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Beta Aircraft Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 277 Park Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | New York |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10172 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Tag Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 111 Anza Blvd., Suite 200 |
| Operator City | Burlingame |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94010 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BDL |
| Departure City | Windsor Locks |
| Departure State | CT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HPN |
| Destination City | White Plains |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |