Piper PA46 N350XL accident near Bandera, Texas

Probable cause

The in-flight electrical fire, which resulted in smoke in the cabin and an emergency landing. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain for the emergency landing.

NTSB analysis

During flight, the pilot observed a warning message on the primary flight display indicating “AVIFAN FAIL.” As he was trouble-shooting the electrical system, smoke began to enter the cabin from the front of the cockpit. The pilot suspected an electrical fire. He disconnected the autopilot, lowered the landing gear, and turned off the battery master switch. After he declared a “Mayday,” the pilot searched for the nearest airport, which was about 13-miles from his position. Smoke was still coming into the cabin, and the pilot's "eyes were burning." The pilot decided that he had to land the airplane without delay because of the potential fire. He decided to land the airplane in what appeared to be a flat field directly ahead.

As the airplane approached the landing point, the pilot extended the first notch of flaps, the airplane crossed over a fence, and landed. The pilot immediately realized that the airplane was fast and on a collision course with another fence and trees, so he rotated the airplane and cleared the obstacles. He immediately turned the airplane to the right and landed the airplane on an adjacent roadway. Upon landing, the airplane hit a roadway signpost with the right wing and the airplane spun 90 degrees to the right, and came to rest with the nose against a roadway guardrail. The outboard section of the right wing sustained substantial damage.

Detailed examination of the airplane’s electrical system revealed thermal damage and discoloration on a circuit board of one of the avionics cooling fans. The thermal damage to the fan circuit board would have likely produced smoke that would be irritating to the eyes, which was consistent with what the pilot reported. No other damage or electrical anomalies were found during the examination.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20LA058 for the full record.