Beech 55 accident near Mansfield, Ohio, August 15, 1995
On August 15, 1995 at about 4:30 am local time, a Beech 55, registered N1685W, was destroyed in an accident near Mansfield, Ohio (Mansfield Lahm Municipal). It was an instructional 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
the inflight and postimpact fire due to a short circuit in the main power distribution cable.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1995 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Mansfield, Ohio · Mansfield Lahm Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 55
- Registration
- N1685W · no longer on the register · serial TE-878
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two CFI's reported that the purpose of the flight was recurrency training. They completed the airwork portion of the flight, and proceeded to perform instrument approaches. They stated that everything was normal during the VOR approach to runway 14, and they circled to land on runway 32. The pilot-in-command stated that when he extended the landing gear he noticed whitish/gray smoke coming from behind the instrument panel. He retracted the landing gear and landed on runway 32. The airplane slid about 2,000 feet down the asphalt runway, and was destroyed by fire. Postaccident examination revealed a short circuit in the main power distribution cable which is routed behind the instrument panel.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,828 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 1,753 as pilot in command; 1,036 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,674 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 1995; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,324 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMH Columbus OH
- Destination: MFD OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 am from MFD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.