Accident Overview
On April 5, 2010, at 1233 eastern daylight time, a Beech 35-A33, registration N156J, was substantially damaged after it caught fire following a rejected takeoff at Allegheny County Airport (AGC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The airplane was engaged in a local instructional flight under Part 91, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed.
The private pilot/owner and a certificated flight instructor (CFI), both aboard, were not injured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, with the cabin area consumed by fire.
Flight History
The private pilot stated that the flight was for an insurance-required proficiency check. Earlier that day, the CFI had flown the airplane locally, performing two takeoffs and landings. After returning, both pilots went to lunch, then conducted a preflight inspection, started the engine, obtained ATIS weather, and requested taxi clearance.
During the pre-takeoff checklist for runway 28, the pilot detected an odor but could not identify the source. After receiving takeoff clearance and applying power, smoke was smelled and visually confirmed coming from the instrument panel. The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff at a speed no greater than 20 knots and exited the runway via the next taxiway. After shutting off the master and alternator switches, smoke continued from the panel. The engine was shut down, and both occupants exited. They attempted to extinguish the fire with a hand-held extinguisher from a first response vehicle. The CFI noted exterior paint blistering on the left side near the instrument panel and firewall. Airport rescue and firefighting personnel arrived and extinguished the fire quickly.
The pilot stated the airplane was owned by the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, purchased about six months prior. The logbooks had been lost before purchase, and the college attempted to reconstruct them. Annual inspections were completed, but no work had been done on avionics or wiring since purchase.
Pilot and CFI Information
The private pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine, multiengine land, and instrument. His most recent third-class medical was issued May 11, 2009. He had 387 total flight hours and no hours in the accident make and model.
The CFI held an airline transport pilot certificate with single-engine land rating, plus commercial and flight instructor ratings. His second-class medical was issued April 2009, reporting 25,000 total flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The Beech 35-A33 (1961) was a high-performance, all-metal, low-wing, single-engine monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Continental Motors IO-470-J engine and a Hartzell propeller.
Weather and Airport Conditions
The 1253 recorded weather at AGC: wind 250° at 10 knots gusting 25 knots, broken clouds at 4,900 ft and 6,000 ft, 10 miles visibility, temperature 23°C, dew point 12°C, altimeter 30.02 inHg. Runway 28 is 6,501 ft long and 150 ft wide concrete. Taxiway A5 is about 350 ft from the start of the takeoff roll.
Examination
Fire consumed sections aft of the firewall, including the cabin and roof structure. FAA examination determined the fire originated on the left side of the instrument panel, near the communication radios, circuit breakers, and electrical bus bar.
Hawker Beechcraft Communiqué No. 116 (June 2008) addressed electrical wire chafing protection, noting chafing can lead to smoke and fire. It recommended inspections at each 100-hour or annual inspection. According to a mechanic's email, the only avionics maintenance was replacing the altitude encoder; he could not verify wire protection measures.