Navion A accident near Quincy, Florida, April 10, 1997
On April 10, 1997 at about 6:26 pm local time, a Navion A, registered N40FL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quincy, Florida (Quincy Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
chafing of an electrical cable that was routed through the firewall, which resulted in electrical arching and an in-flight fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1997 · about 6:26 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, Florida · Quincy Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion A
- Registration
- N40FL · no longer on the register · serial 4-856
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a test flight after completion of an annual inspection. The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, he first smelled an electrical fire, then felt heat on his legs. He remained in the pattern and landed. After exiting the airplane, a fire erupted in the cockpit area. Bystanders used water to help extinguish the fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed electrical arching on the firewall from a cable that went through the firewall. The electrical cable was routed from the battery relay (aft of the aft seat) to the starter relay, which was on the upper right section of the firewall. The mechanic, who performed the inspection, used the manufacturers checklist. Reportedly, no work had been performed on 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 862 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 771 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,413 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2J9 at 6:21 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from TLH, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.