| Date: | Thursday 12 September 1946 |
| Time: | 13:42 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-54A-10-DC (DC-4) |
| Owner/operator: | Pennsylvania-Central Airlines |
| Registration: | NX91068 |
| MSN: | 10342 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1944 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3598 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA) |
| Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A no. 4 engine fire forced the crew to land immediately at Washington-National. The fire was fed by fuel and oil escaping from melted and burned fuel and oil line connections. The engine separated from the wing just prior to touchdown.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure in the No. 4 engine of the exhaust valve of the No. 2 cylinder and the exhaust connection of the No. 1 cylinder which resulted in fire in flight. A contributing factor was the inadequacy of the seal between the firewall and nacelle skin and between individual cowl panels which permitted the fire eventually to reach Zone 3 and to become uncontrollable."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
CAB File No. 3894-46
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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