Dassault-Breguet Falcon 50 incident near Windsor Locks, Connecticut, November 18, 2003
On November 18, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Dassault-Breguet Falcon 50, registered N14CG, suffered minor damage in an incident near Windsor Locks, Connecticut (Bradley International Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight fire, originating from electrical arcing, which subsequently created a hole in an oxygen line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Windsor Locks, Connecticut · Bradley International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet Falcon 50 · all Falcon 50s on the register
- Registration
- N14CG · registry record · serial 100
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, at 500-600 feet AGL, the flight crew noticed smoke in the cabin, declared an emergency, and returned to land without incident. After landing, crash fire rescue extinguished a fire in the overhead paneling of a coat closet, which was located directly behind the cockpit. Examination of the airplane revealed extensive heat damage to the overhead paneling around a closet light fixture in the aircraft cabin. Visual examination of the damaged area revealed that electrical wiring and an oxygen line were installed in close proximity to each other in the area of the light fixture. Additionally, examination of the oxygen line revealed a pin-size hole through the circumference of the line with signatures consistent of electrical arcing. Further examination of the light fixture revealed areas of severe localized heating and melting. Examination of maintenance records revealed two entries in the past 12 months, which described the closet light circuit breaker popping during illumination of the light. This occurred as a result of an electrical arcing between the light assembly and an oxygen line. Both instances included installing Teflon tape to protect interference between the assembly and the oxygen line.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TFE 731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TFE 731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tag Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BDL Windsor Locks CT at 10:00 pm
- Destination: HPN White Plains NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from BDL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 NYC04IA037.