Cessna 650 accident near Buffalo, New York, April 4, 1997
On April 4, 1997, a Cessna 650, registered N553AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buffalo, New York (Greater Buffalo Intl airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A combination hydraulic fluid and fuel-fed fire which originated from electrical arcing, due to the lack of an adequate production standard from Cessna for the separation of flammable fluid lines and electrical lines. A factor was the lack of oversight from the FAA, which allowed Cessna to space the flammable fluid lines and electrical lines at too close a position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 1997
- Place
- Buffalo, New York · Greater Buffalo Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 650 · all 650s on the register
- Registration
- N553AC · registry record · serial 198
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While being vectored for the final approach in visual conditions, at night, the flight crew lost radio contact with the control tower and smelled smoke aboard the airplane. They continued the approach and landed, and after reaching their parking space, were notified by ground personnel of flames penetrating the top of the aft fuselage between the engines. The fire was extinguished by airport fire fighting personnel. Postaccident investigation found a hydraulic return line in the aft equipment bay had evidence of electrical arcing and a small hole through which fluid could escape. An 115-volt electrical line used to heat the horizontal stabilizer also had evidence of rubbing on its surface. In addition to the hydraulic fluid, a pressurized fuel line to the APU was damaged by the fire and leaking fuel. A test simulating an electrical line arcing with a leaking hydraulic line resulted in a fire during each of the three tests. The production standards that Cessna used did not specify a minimum space between electrical lines and flammable fluid lines. The FAA had certified the airplane without requiring Cessna to specify a minimum spacing between electrical lines and flammable fluid lines.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,900 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 8,800 as pilot in command; 780 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,128 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 13, 1997; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 22,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ELZ Wellsville NY
- Destination: BUF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 8,102 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.