19930202004309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Danbury, CT · February 2, 1993

Date: February 2, 1993 · 19:20 local
Place: Danbury, CT
Airport: Danbury Municipal
Phase of flight: Starting Engines
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N233PA
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC93LA060
Reported as: Piper PA28161
Reported engine: Lycoming O320D3G
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 90 total40 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N233PARegistration cancelled Aug 19, 2013 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-7816676 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Engine fire erupted on cold weather starting. Had over primed. Failed on turn off boost pump and fuel cut off. (.4) this was the first flight of the day and the temperature was below freezing. The pilot primed the engine several times and then attempted to start the engine. It ran for a few seconds and then stopped. He primed it several times again and then attempted another start. Again the engine started and then stopped. He then noticed a glow on the ground and evacuated the passengers while he attempted to crank the engine, however the flames spread, and the pilot evacuated the airplane. The master switch, electric fuel pump, mixture control and the fuel selector valve were left on. According to the airplane flight manual, priming is used only after the initial start attempt. In addition, if a fire occurs during start, the manual says to shut off the mixture and fuel selector. The pilot had 90 hours total time.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE FIRE ERUPTED ON COLD WEATHER STARTING. HAD OVER PRIMED. FAILED ON TURN OFF BOOST PUMP AND FUEL CUT OFF. (.4) THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW FREEZING. THE PILOT PRIMED THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE. IT RAN FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED. HE PRIMED IT SEVERAL TIMES AGAIN AND THEN ATTEMPTED ANOTHER START. AGAIN THE ENGINE STARTED AND THEN STOPPED. HE THEN NOTICED A GLOW ON THE GROUND AND EVACUATED THE PASSENGERS WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO CRANK THE ENGINE, HOWEVER THE FLAMES SPREAD, AND THE PILOT EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. THE MASTER SWITCH, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, MIXTURE CONTROL AND THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WERE LEFT ON. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL, PRIMING IS USED ONLY AFTER THE INITIAL START ATTEMPT. IN ADDITION, IF A FIRE OCCURS DURING START, THE MANUAL SAYS TO SHUT OFF THE MIXTURE AND FUEL SELECTOR. THE PILOT HAD 90 HOURS TOTAL TIME.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC93LA060Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDanbury, CTThe pilot's improper emergency procedures for an engine fire during starting which resulted in the substantial damage. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's improper starting procedure and his lack of total experience.Feb 3, 1993 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N233PA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20041011026979AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Madison, CT(-23) The pilot declared a mayday and established contact with bdl ATC on 121.5. He stated that the engine was out at 4000' and he was descending. He accepted a heading from bdl ATC toward the nearest airport and continued to provide altitude information to…Oct 11, 2004 · Destroyed · 2 fatal