Iniziative Sky Arrow incident near Marietta, Georgia, June 8, 2009
On June 8, 2009 at about 3:43 pm local time, a Iniziative Sky Arrow, registered N445SA, was involved in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Marietta, Georgia (Cobb County-Mccollum Field). 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
An electrical fire due to the lack of a positive locking mechanism for the fuse retainer in the main fuse block, which resulted in voltage fluctuations that caused thermal damage to the avionics cooling fan. Contributing to the incident was the student pilot's inadvertent shutdown of the engine at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2009 · about 3:43 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Georgia · Cobb County-Mccollum Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Iniziative Sky Arrow
- Registration
- N445SA · registry record · serial LSA0008
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, when the special light sport airplane was climbing through an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (agl), the certificated flight instructor (CFI) and the student smelled and saw electrical smoke in the cockpit. The CFI began a turn back to the departure airport, and declared an emergency to the air traffic control tower. The CFI, in the rear seat, and without access to the electrical switches or circuit breakers, asked the student in the front seat to "turn everything off except the radio." After they received clearance to return to the airport, the CFI asked the student to turn off the radio; the student turned off the radio and the master switch. Shortly thereafter, the CFI instructed the student to turn on the master switch and radio, but "they would not work," and when the student cycled the master switch, the engine ceased operation. The CFI stated that due to the low altitude at the time of the power loss, he focused on landing safely, and did not attempt to troubleshoot the situation or verify the student pilot's actions. The airplane landed uneventfully on a road. Post-incident examination and testing revealed that the main fuse block for the airplane's electrical system exhibited intermittent contact, which, due to the architecture of the electrical system, caused the airplane system voltage to peak at values 5 to 8 volts above the normal value of 12 volts. The over-voltage condition resulted in overheating and thermal damage to an avionics cooling fan. The fuse block was not intended for aviation applications, and was installed without a positive locking mechanism for the fuse retainer. After the incident, the airplane manufacturer issued a service bulletin that recommended safety-wiring the main fuse block fuse retainer in the closed position, and also incorporated that change into the production line. No electrical or mechanical mechanism that related the fuse block malfunction or the over-voltage condition to engine operation or failure was identified. After the fuse block and damaged cooling fan were replaced with new units, the incident airplane and engine functioned normally. It was likely that the student inadvertently and unknowingly shut down the engine when he attempted to comply with the CFI's instructions.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC power distribution system › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC power distribution system › Design
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC regulator › Design
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Student pilot
Flight instructor
- 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: 10,650 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 241 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 8,080 as pilot in command; 1,620 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 339 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 28, 2009; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hansen Air Group
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Marietta GA at 3:40 pm
- Destination: RYY Marietta GA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:59 pm from RYY, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.