Incident Overview
On April 1, 2010, at approximately 1650 central standard time, a Cessna C-182F airplane, registration N3320U, sustained substantial damage after a fire erupted while taxiing for takeoff at Kickapoo Downtown Airport (CWC) in Wichita Falls, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was conducting a business flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was taxiing toward the runway when he detected an "electrical" smell in the cockpit. Shortly thereafter, he observed smoke emanating from the instrument panel. He stopped the airplane and shut it down. Upon exiting, he saw black smoke and flames coming from the instrument panel. The fire subsequently consumed most of the airplane fuselage aft of the engine firewall.
Maintenance Records
The airplane's maintenance records were onboard at the time of the accident and were destroyed by the fire. The mechanic who performed regular maintenance on the airplane reported that the last annual inspection had occurred in March 2009. Additionally, a new engine, battery, and landing light had been installed approximately 18 flight hours prior to the accident.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the wreckage was conducted by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators. The origin of the fire could not be determined.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Cessna C-182F (N3320U), a single-engine high-wing airplane. No further details about the aircraft's configuration or history were available from the source.