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19970111002989I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172M · Bartow, FL · January 11, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 11, 1997 · 13:50 local
Place
Bartow, FL
Airport
Bartow Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Starting Engines
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N828RM
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,600 total200 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N828RMRegistration cancelled Feb 17, 2017 · Cessna 172MS/N 17264715 · Built 1975Airframe modelCessna 172MEngine 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.

Narrative: on January 11, 1997, at approximately 1530 zulu, aircraft N828RM, CE-172-M, serial number 17264715, operated by Mr. Robert h. witkop, FAA cert. No. 371385303, caught fire during engine start. The fire was located in the engine compartment and was contained and extinguished immediately. The fire was confined mostly to the engine compartment and did not appear to have caused any other damage. Mr. Witkop stated that he noticed smoke emanating from under the instrument panel, approximately 20 to 30 seconds after engine start. He immediately turned off the engine and the master battery switch and then both he and his passenger evacuated the aircraft. An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the fire was confined to the engine compartment and did not appear to have caused any other damage. The engine compartment appeared to have sustained severe damage from heat and smoke. Most of the electrical harnesses, cables, and components were destroyed. The heat had caused the insulation to melt off of the cables, shorting the exposed wires. Also, identified severe damage to several hoses, belts and associated components. This incident is still under investigation, pending the outcome of a mechanical evaluation.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JANUARY 11, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 ZULU, AIRCRAFT N828RM, CE-172-M, SERIAL NUMBER 17264715, OPERATED BY MR. ROBERT H. WITKOP, FAA CERT. NO. 371385303, CAUGHT FIRE DURING ENGINE START. THE FIRE WAS LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WAS CONTAINED AND EXTINGUISHED IMMEDIATELY. THE FIRE WAS CONFINED MOSTLY TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE CAUSED ANY OTHER DAMAGE. MR. WITKOP STATED THAT HE NOTICED SMOKE EMANATING FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 SECONDS AFTER ENGINE START. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THE MASTER BATTERY SWITCH AND THEN BOTH HE AND HIS PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE FIRE WAS CONFINED TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE CAUSED ANY OTHER DAMAGE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE FROM HEAT AND SMOKE. MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL HARNESSES, CABLES, AND COMPONENTS WERE DESTROYED. THE HEAT HAD CAUSED THE INSULATION TO MELT OFF OF THE CABLES, SHORTING THE EXPOSED WIRES. ALSO, IDENTIFIED SEVERE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOSES, BELTS AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS. THIS INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, PENDING THE OUTCOME OF A MECHANICAL EVALUATION.