Hawker Beechcraft Corp. 99 incident near Moline, Illinois, February 19, 2008
On February 19, 2008 at about 2:30 am local time, a Hawker Beechcraft Corp. 99, registered N118SF, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Moline, Illinois (Quad-City airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The arcing of the resistor and silicone controlled rectifier in the flap control circuit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2008 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Moline, Illinois · Quad-City · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Beechcraft Corp. 99
- Registration
- N118SF · no longer on the register · serial U-32
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that during descent he "smelled electrical smoke and saw flames behind the power quadrant." He declared an emergency and removed the fire extinguisher from its holder. In the time it took to do this, the flames were no longer visible and the burning smell was not getting any stronger. The pilot landed at his destination without further incident. An examination revealed that a 10 ohm, 1/2 watt, resistor contacted the ground lug of a silicon controlled rectifier in the flap control circuit. The manufacturer indicated that manufacturing practices require component leads to be covered with a sleeve. The 100 hour inspection listed in the airplane's maintenance manual indicated that the instrument plumbing and wiring should be inspected for "condition, attachment, chafing, etc."
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › TE flap control system › Malfunction
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: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,100 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,079 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OMA Omaha NE at 1:30 am
- Destination: MLI Moline IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point -2°F (-19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from MLI, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.