# Incident 19970223008189I: Piper PA28181, Roanoke, VA, February 23, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 23, 1997, 12:33 local time
- Place: Roanoke, VA
- Airport: Roanoke Regional/Woodrum Field
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.2710° N, 79.9414° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Roanoke, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.2710&lon=-79.9414&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8331C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8331C) (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: 305 total, 50 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970223008189I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: ON FEBRUARY 23, 1997, 12:33 LT, N8331C DEPARTED ROA ON RUNWAY 24. APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED IN THE CABIN. THE PILOT -IN-COMMAND CONTACTED ROA TOWER, REPORTING SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT TURNED OFF THE ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 33 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RAMP WHERE EMERGENCY CREW WAITED. OIL WAS OBSERVED ON THE NOSE GEAR AND WHEEL FAIRING. A CHECK OF THE OIL LEVEL SHOWED A LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY 1/4 QUART. THE OIL LEAK WAS IDENTIFIED AS COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF THE CRANK CASE/OIL PAN GASKET. A NEW GASKET HAS BEEN INSTALLED BETWEEN THE OIL PAN AND CRANK CASE. THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE.

## Other reports on N8331C (1)

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

- [Incident 20250809009989I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250809009989I), Aug 9, 2025: Piper PA-28-181 (N8331C), Roanoke, VA, Minor damage. The aircraft took off and climbed to 6000 feet. Upon leveling off the top cowl departed the aircraft resulting in damage to the windshield. The pilot declared…

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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