Mcclish FUNK B85C accident near Coffeyville, Kansas, September 18, 2009
On September 18, 2009 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Mcclish FUNK B85C, registered N81167, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Coffeyville, Kansas (Coffeyville Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2009 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coffeyville, Kansas · Coffeyville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcclish FUNK B85C · all FUNK B85Cs on the register
- Registration
- N81167 · no longer on the register · serial 297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following a run-up, the pilot and passenger departed in the single-engine airplane. Shortly after reaching 800 feet in altitude, the pilot observed orange flames in the area of the glare shield. The pilot elected to pull the engine throttle to idle, switched off the ignition switch, and performed a dead-stick landing. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted before the airplane was engulfed in flames. The pilot reported that the logbooks were in the airplane at the time of the fire, and was unsure when the last annual inspection was performed. An examination after the accident revealed that the airplane's fabric covering was fully consumed in the ensuing fire. Due to the extent of the damage, the fire's ignition source was not located.
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
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during takeoff defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during emergency descent
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 18,500 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 18,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 26, 2006
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CFV Coffeyville KS at 7:29 pm
- Destination: CFV Coffeyville KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,872 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09LA594.