Scan 30 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, October 9, 2004
On October 9, 2004 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Scan 30, registered N701Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight fire during cruise flight for an undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2004 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Scan 30
- Registration
- N701Q · no longer on the register · serial 14
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot reported that he was on a local personal flight in his twin engine amphibian airplane, when a fire erupted from the instrument panel. He was unable to completely extinguish the fire, and he attempted to make an emergency landing at a small dirt airstrip. He was unable to reach the airstrip due to the fire and smoke, and he elected to make a forced landing in trees short of the airstrip. The pilot said he did not know what started the fire. He noted that he had recently rearranged some wiring behind the instrument panel. He also said that when he reduced power to the engines, the fire diminished, although he is not certain the fire was fuel related. The source of the fire was undetermined.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 10, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2004; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R-680-13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.