Beech B-19 accident near Chiriaco Summit, California, February 28, 1990
On February 28, 1990 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech B-19, registered N24015, was destroyed in an accident near Chiriaco Summit, California (Chiriaco Summit 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE OF UNDETERMINED ORIGIN DDURING ENGINE START.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1990 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chiriaco Summit, California · Chiriaco Summit · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-19 · all B-19s on the register
- Registration
- N24015 · no longer on the register · serial MB-833
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO START THE ENGINE, A FIRE BEGAN IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AS SOON AS THE FIRE WAS OBSERVED, THE FUEL PUMP AND MIXTURE WERE TURNED OFF/CLOSED AND THE ENGINE WAS REPEATEDLY CRANKED OVER. THE FIRE SPREAD AND EVENTUALLY CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT. THE MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE ENGINE STARTING SYSTEM, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE FUEL-FED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,035 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: TRM Thermal CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:15 pm
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.