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FTW87FA161

1987-07-04 · EL PASO, Texas, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ELP

N5777M has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-8A, built 2006), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

ESCAPING HOT EXHAUST GAS FROM THE BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD MELTED THE SEALANT FROM SEVERAL AREAS OF THE FIREWALL WHERE HOSES, WIRES, ETC., PASS THROUGH TO THE COCIPIT AREA. HEAVY BLACK SMOKE PRODUCED BY SMOLDERING WIRE INSULATION, FIRE SHIELD MATERIAL, ETC., ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN AREA THROUGH THESE OPENINGS WEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE AIRPORT TOWER CONTROLLER. HE OPENED THE PILOT'S VENT WINDOW, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND THE SMOKE DIMINISHED SOMEWHAT BUT WOULD BECOME MORE INTENSE EACH TIME ENGINE POWER WAS REAPPLIED. ADEQUATE POWER FOR SPEED AND RUNWAY ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE OBTAINED DUE TO THE INCREASED SMOKE. THEREFORE, A HARD, OFF RUNWAY LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_FTW87FA161.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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