NTSB Factual Report

On April 20, 2005, at 1517 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210N, N2AK, was destroyed during an in-flight fire and subsequent post landing fire at Glacier Park International Airport (GPI), Kalispell, Montana. The commercial pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. Felts Field Aviation Inc., Spokane, Washington, was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from Spokane, Washington, at approximately 1330. The pilot was flying on a VFR flight plan.

The pilot said that he lowered the landing gear on a 3.5 mile extended left base. He said that he was cleared to land by ATC on runway 02. He checked the landing gear down indication lights, and when he looked up again, black smoke was coming from the dash. He looked down at the control pedestal and saw smoke and fire; he said black smoke immediately eliminated outside visibility. The pilot said that the passenger reported seeing the runway out his open window. The pilot landed the airplane, which bounced, and on the second touchdown the front nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop. He and the passenger exited the airplane, which subsequently was consumed by the ensuing fire. The airplane's maintenance records indicated that the following maintenance had been done since the beginning of the year: 1. On January 28, 2005, the engine was removed and a remanufactured engine installed. 2. On March 18, 2005, an annual inspection was completed. 3. On March 30, 2005, an inverter (located up/behind the instrument panel) was replaced. 4. On April 11, 2005, the altimeter was replaced with an overhauled one.

Postaccident investigation of the landing gear hydraulic pump (located up/behind the instrument panel) and its associated tubular plumbing found several fractures and failures. A NTSB metallurgist examined the hydraulic lines and found no evidence of preexisting cracking or fractures; using a scanning electron microscope, he identified typical intergranular features with rounded edges, which are indicative of high temperature overstress failures. A NTSB fire expert examined the main wire bundle from under the instrument panel and said that due to the extent of fire damage, an ignition source for the fire could not be determined.

NTSB Probable Cause

An airborne fire which was fueled by leaking hydraulic fluid (the ignition source for the fire was undetermined) from the landing gear hydraulic system located under the cockpit instrument panel due to inadequate maintenance from other maintenance personnel. Contributing factors were the hydraulic fluid and the pilot's hard landing due the airplane's control not being possible subsequent to the loss of external visibility caused by smoke in the cockpit.