19970816029829I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Orlando, FL · August 16, 1997

Date: August 16, 1997 · 17:45 local
Place: Orlando, FL
Airport: Orlando Sanford Airport
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8292W
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 515 total70 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N8292WRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-2455 · Built 1965 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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: engine exhaust system failed under the muffler shroud. The exhaust cannister split, allowing direct flame impingement upon the aircraft alternator and cowling, causing electrical generation system failure and melting of the lower engine cowl. Examination of the aircraft exhaust system revealed that it was in an advanced state of deterioration due to rust and fatigue cracking.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED UNDER THE MUFFLER SHROUD. THE EXHAUST CANNISTER SPLIT, ALLOWING DIRECT FLAME IMPINGEMENT UPON THE AIRCRAFT ALTERNATOR AND COWLING, CAUSING ELECTRICAL GENERATION SYSTEM FAILURE AND MELTING OF THE LOWER ENGINE COWL. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT EXHAUST SYSTEM REVEALED THAT IT WAS IN AN ADVANCED STATE OF DETERIORATION DUE TO RUST AND FATIGUE CRACKING.