# Accident 19890130001639A: Piper PA28181, Novato, CA, January 30, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 30, 1989, 19:15 local time
- Place: Novato, CA
- Airport: Gnoss Field Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.1436° N, 122.5571° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GNOSS FLD (DVO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1436&lon=-122.5571&mi=10
- Aircraft: N985BY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N985BY-2014-12-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4M
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total, 175 in this make and model, 92 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA101) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890130001639A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TURNING OFF RUNWAY ENGINE QUIT, TRIED TO RESTART, ENGINE BACKFIRED AND CAUGHT FIRE. UNABLE TO DRAW IN FIRE. BURNED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA101), Jan 31, 1989: Piper PA-28-181 (N985BY), Novato, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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