NTSB CHI90LA048 — 1989-12-20 · GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, United States

N117CC has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (SWEARINGEN SA226-T(B), built 1979), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N117CC Cessna 310Q None

Probable cause & findings

THE UNDETERMINED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE DURING THE INITIAL CLIMBOUT. A FACTOR WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE.

Factual narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 3.5 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE SMOKE WAS THE RESULT OF A FIRE IN THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE HEAT AND FIRE DAMAGE, INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT SHUT OFF THE FUEL TO THE ENGINE, WHICH INCREASED THE INTENSITY OF THE DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND ALL APPLICABLE AD NOTES HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE FORCED LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL; DESPITE OVERRUNNING THE RUNWAY END, NO DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING LANDING. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN AFTER THE PILOT ESCAPED AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL WING DAMAGE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI90LA048.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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