Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lagrange-Callaway Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lagrange, Georgia 30240
Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane had just been fueled by the lineman at the fixed-base operator (FBO), who secured the fuel caps after the service. During the climb after takeoff, the right-wing fuel cap came off of the wing, remaining attached only by the chain. An estimated 11 gallons of fuel was siphoned from the wing before the pilot returned to the airport and taxied back to the FBO. The pilot secured the cap and conducted a visual inspection of the right wing, before attempting to start the engine again. The right engine backfired, followed by a loud bang and whoosh sound; flames then rose from the right wing. A postaccident examination of the right wing revealed that the internal blast was a result of the backfire igniting fuel vapors that remained after the siphoning. The blast caused the upper wing skin to expand and separate from the retaining rivets. A soot trail originated at the exhaust pipes and traveled in an aft direction to the trailing edge of the wing.
Examination of the fuel cap revealed that the outer o-ring was dry and cracked, a washer was missing, the cap leaked under pressure, and that the force required to secure the cap exceeded the manufacturer’s specification. The airplane’s maintenance records did not indicate the last time the fuel cap was overhauled. Fuel cap maintenance is permissible by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified airframe mechanic or by an FAA-approved overhaul facility. While the cap’s manufacturer has standards on the required forces to secure the fuel cap lock tab and a leak testing process, the airplane’s maintenance manual does not mention either.
As a result of separate investigations, the airplane’s manufacturer has included in applicable airplanes’ maintenance manuals the following verbiage: “Note: Inspect the fuel filler cap outer o-ring for flexibility, splits cracks or distortion. If the o-ring is damaged in any way replace or overhaul the fuel cap.”
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot not allowing sufficient time for fuel spill vapors to dissipate before starting the engine. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate maintenance of the fuel cap.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/11/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 915 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LaGrange |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30240 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 330031N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0850421W |
| Event Location Airport | LaGrange-Callaway |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LGC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 693 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 915 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 693 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 29 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29704 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 14 2012 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N405RW |
| NTSB Number | ERA10LA357 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 58 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TC |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TH325 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 20 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 3139 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Vatis H. Gibson Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lanett |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36863 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Michael A. Ballard |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lanett |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 36863 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LGC |
| Departure City | LaGrange |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SAV |
| Destination City | Savannah |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 14 2012 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |