ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 134080
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| Date: | Monday 7 April 1997 |
| Time: | 17:14 LT |
| Type: |  Rockwell Commander 114 |
| Owner/operator: | Robert K. Cordray |
| Registration: | N4861W |
| MSN: | 14191 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2000 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Oklahoma City, OK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | (KHSD) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The engine lost power and an in flight fire sent smoke into the cabin during initial takeoff climb on a local maintenance flight of a prototype exhaust system. During the forced landing, short of the runway, the airplane touched down in soft soil, crossed a gravel driveway and struck an embankment and a fence before coming to a stop. Subsequently the airplane was consumed by the fire. The airframe was inspected by the FAA inspector and he found an unapproved modification, designed by the pilot, for the cowling and the exhaust system. The exhaust system components were wrapped in a heat protective tape approximately 2 inches wide. After removing the exhaust from the engine and removing the tape, it was found that the right hand exhaust pipe collector was cracked in several areas. The pilot reported that he was working on a STC for drag reduction and the experimental exhaust manifold cracked at the weld after 7 hours of test flights.
Probable Cause: The exhaust manifold cracking due to the pilot's inadequate maintenance modification of the exhaust system which resulted in a fire. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97LA156
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 16:04 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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