Mcneill Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Happy, Texas 79042
Saturday, June 2, 2007 10:57 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The commercial pilot reported that he was flying his single-engine agricultural airplane approximately 300-feet above ground level when he smelled "hot wiring." He then saw smoke in the cockpit, and saw flames underneath the trailing edge of the right wing. The pilot made a precautionary landing on a county road, and exited the airplane normally. An FAA inspector examined the airplane. A review of photographs taken by the inspector revealed that the left wing and fuselage were consumed by fire, and the engine cowling had thermal damage. The mid-section of the right wing and tip of the elevator sustained thermal damage. This damage appeared to be heavy sooting, paint blistering, and metal deformation, consistent with an in-flight fire. However, the origin of the in-flight fire could not be determined. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector, who responded to the operator's facility, that the airplane's maintenance records were aboard the airplane at the time of the mishap, and according to the pilot, they were destroyed in the fire.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

An in-flight fire while maneuvering for an undetermined reason.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/2/2007
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1057
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Happy
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 79042
Event Date Year 2007
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 345025N
Event Location Longitude Pleseen.
Event Location Airport McNeill Ranch Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 6TE7
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 7
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID KAMA
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 15
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.02
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 21786
NTSB Notification Source LBB FSDO
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 25 2007 12:22PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Lubbock, texas

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N53377
NTSB Number DFW07CA125
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 137: Agricultural
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground and In-flight
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model A188B
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 18801796T
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 1 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 300
Airframe Hours 6000
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Dudley McNeill
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City --
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country --
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Dudley McNeill
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Happy
Operator State TX
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 79042
Operator Code Y3DG
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
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) Aerial Application
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 6TE7
Departure City Wayside
Departure State TX
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone --
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code 6TE7
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 26 2007 4:55PM
User who most recently changed record CASH
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 35
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 34
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --