At 13:15 central time, a Cessna 172RG was damaged during a precautionary landing near Washington after the pilots encountered smoke in the cockpit. The pilot and the CFI suffered minor injuries. The pilots were practicing commercial flight maneuvers when they smelled an electrical fire. They immediately began to return to the airport, but two minutes later the cockpit filled with smoke. The pilots secured all electrical equipment and landed in a field, where the airplane nosed over. An investigation showed chafing of electrical wires between the engine firewall and cockpit instrument panel. A plastic hydraulic reservoir was found melted and laying on the cockpit floor.
May 03, Washington, Okla. / Cessna Cutlass
At 13:15 central time, a Cessna 172RG was damaged during a precautionary landing near Washington after the pilots encountered smoke in the cockpit. The pilot and the CFI suffered minor injuries. The pilots were practicing commercial flight maneuvers when they smelled an electrical fire. They immediately began to return to the airport, but two minutes later the cockpit filled with smoke. The pilots secured all electrical equipment and landed in a field, where the airplane nosed over. An investigation showed chafing of electrical wires between the engine firewall and cockpit instrument panel. A plastic hydraulic reservoir was found melted and laying on the cockpit floor....
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna 172RG made a precautionary landing, resulting in damage to the aircraft and minor injuries to both pilots, after an electrical fire caused the cockpit to fill with smoke during commercial flight maneuvers.
- The incident was attributed to chafed electrical wires between the engine firewall and instrument panel, which led to a melted plastic hydraulic reservoir and the airplane nosing over upon landing in a field.
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