More likely that a fuel line was not properly safetied or
otherwise failed. Turbine engines have fuel pressures as
high a 1,000 PSI, so the fuel system in the engine is highly
stressed. The fuel supply pumps are high capacity and 50 to
100 PSI, so again, the fuel connections and lines are
stressed.

If there was a fuel leak into the nacelle, wing root area,
any source of ignition could cause an explosion and the
resulting fire would soften the aluminum spar quickly. The
emergency procedure for a fire is to shut off the fuel
valves, but if the failure was between the tank and fuel
tank or the valve was damaged, it might not be possible to
shut the fuel off.

The NTSB is very good at investigating this type of failure,
the will track melted and bent metal, see the pattern of
soot and follow the fractures in the metal.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
Merry Christmas
Have a Safe and Happy New Year
Live Long and Prosper
Jim Macklin
"Otis Winslow" wrote in message
...
| I'm wondering if fitting turbine engines on the old
airframes
| didn't pull something loose in the wing/mount.
|
| This thing's just a heart breaker. I see them flying all
the
| time when I'm in Miami. They've been flying off Watson
Island
| forever. I've always thought it would be fun to fly with
them
| over to the Bahamas.
|
|
| Jim Macklin wrote:
| My guess is that they had a loose or broken fuel line,
| caught fire and the fuel vapor exploded and the fire
melted
| the spar enough for it to fail.. The airplane seems to
have
| been very sturdy, since the fuselage is intact after the
| impact.
|
| Thanks.
|
|