19971017033949I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Columbia, SC · October 17, 1997

Date: October 17, 1997 · 07:20 local
Place: Columbia, SC
Airport: Columbia Metropolitan
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8132W
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total7,700 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N8132WRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-2243 · 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: at 0720 hours local and approximately 22 miles sw of cae, on an IFR flight, the pilot reported that the upper cowling blew off. The aircraft landed at aiken without incident. An investigation was conducted by this office. The propeller and windshield sustained minor abrasion damage. The right wing leading edge and fuel tank was dented. No mechanical defects could be found in the cowling attach fittings. No mechanical defect could be found that would explain why the upper cowling blew off the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AT 0720 HOURS LOCAL AND APPROXIMATELY 22 MILES SW OF CAE, ON AN IFR FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE UPPER COWLING BLEW OFF. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT AIKEN WITHOUT INCIDENT. AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED BY THIS OFFICE. THE PROPELLER AND WINDSHIELD SUSTAINED MINOR ABRASION DAMAGE. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE AND FUEL TANK WAS DENTED. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS COULD BE FOUND IN THE COWLING ATTACH FITTINGS. NO MECHANICAL DEFECT COULD BE FOUND THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE UPPER COWLING BLEW OFF THE AIRCRAFT.