NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MKC86LA192
Registry · N9043V
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AEROSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC S-50A
Year of manufacture
1997
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19971015
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC80DD
Registrant of record
BULKLEY JAMES C
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PLT RPRTD THAT THIS WAS A POSITIONING FLT FOR A 100 HR INSPN & THAT THE ACFT WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THRU-OUT THE FLT. ACCORDING TO HIM, HE EXTENDED THE FLAPS & PUT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION AS HE MADE A VOR APCH AT NIGHT; HOWEVER, THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. DURING THE WHEELS UP LANDING, A FIRE OCCURRED IN THE COCKPIT AREA, EXTENSIVELY DAMAGING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, BUT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE LANDING GEAR UPLOCKS WERE FOUND UNLATCHED, BUT THE WHEELS WERE FOUND IN THEIR RESPECTIVE WHEEL WELLS. AFTER THE ACFT WAS HOISTED OFF THE GROUND, ALL THREE WHEELS EXTENDED WITH NO DIFFICULTY WHEN THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYS WAS OPERATED. NEITHER THE ELECTRICAL GEAR MOTOR NOR THE INSIDE OF THE GEAR MOTOR COMPARTMENT WERE BURNED IN THE FIRE, BUT THE MOTOR HAD EVIDENCE OF THERMAL OVERLOAD DAMAGE AROUND THE WINDING. NO INFO WAS RECORDED ON THE TOWER TAPES TO INDICATE A GEAR PROBLEM BEFORE THE ACFT LANDED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1986_MKC86LA192.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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