Beech 35-C33A N63B accident near Indianola, Mississippi

Probable cause

An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that before the flight he completed an engine runup with no anomalies noted. After departure, when the airplane was about 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level, he smelled “burning plastic” and observed smoke from the engine compartment. He turned back toward the airport and was on the base leg of the traffic pattern when he observed flames coming through the firewall under the battery box area. He tried to kick out the flame, but the fire seemed to be coming from the engine side of the firewall. He turned off the electrical system and adjusted the mixture control to cut off the fuel. He performed a gear-up landing on the runway as the cabin filled with smoke. After the airplane came to rest and the pilot egressed, the fire consumed a majority of the fuselage before it was extinguished. The pilot recorded a video of the airplane that showed dark smoke in the cabin and heat discoloration below the front right windscreen, near the battery box.

The postaccident examination was unable to determine the source of the fire due to the extensive fire damage.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA194 for the full record.