# Incident 19980716037349I: Piper PA28161, Van Nuys, CA, July 16, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 16, 1998, 21:30 local time
- Place: Van Nuys, CA
- Airport: Van Nuys Airport
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Location: 34.2098° N, 118.4900° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VAN NUYS (VNY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2098&lon=-118.4900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9285M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9285M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320D3G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980716037349I

## Narrative

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

(-5)AT 2:30 PM LOCAL TIME ON 07-19-98 A PIPER WARRIOR II N9285M, HAD AN ENGINE FIRE WHILE THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START UP.  I WAS IN A HANGAR NEAR BY INSPECTING AS S-76 HELICOPTER WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE AFTER FINISHING THE S-76 INSPECTION.  AT THE SCENE THE AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS JUST DRIVING AWAY WHEN I ARRIVED.  I IDENTIFIED MYSELF TO THE AIRPORT POLICE ON SCENE AND ADVISED THEM I COULD TAKE OVER WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED WITH THEIR PROCEDURES.  I IDENTIFIED MYSELF TO THE TWO PILOTS AND ASKED IF THEY WERE OK. THEY RECEIVED NO INJURIES.  I THEN ASKED THEM WHAT HAPPENED:  MR. YORAM R. GOLD ATP CERT #570732222 TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING TOUCH AND GO'S 4 IN ALL WHEN HE AND MR. MUSSAD A. ALSHAMMARI STUDENT PILOT CERT #0086958 DECIDED TO LAND AND SPEAK TO A PILOT EXAMINER AT VNY AIRPORT.  THE EXAMINER WAS NOT AVAILABLE SO MR. GOLD AND MR. ALSHAMMARI DECIDED TO RETURN TO BURBANK AIRPORT.  WHEN MR. GOLD ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRCRAFT THE STARTER HUNG UP.  MR. GOLD PRIMED THE ENGINE TWO TIMES AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER START.  THE PLANE HAD SAT ONLY 15 MINUTES SINCE ITS LAST FLIGHT AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS 104 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.  THIS RESULTED IN AN ENGINE FIRE POSSIBLY FROM OVER PRIMING AND THE ENGINE BEING RELUCTANT TO START IN THE HEAT.  WHEN MR. GOLD SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWL HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TRYING TO START THE ENGINE AND GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.  HE DISCHARGED THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.  THE ONLY VISIBLE SIGNS OF A FIRE WAS BLACK SOOT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING MR. GOLD'S QUICK ACTION PREVENTED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

## Other reports on N9285M (1)

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

- [Incident 19891019060569I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891019060569I), Oct 19, 1989: Piper PA28161 (N9285M), Las Vegas, NV, Minor damage. Pilot taxied off taxiway at night. Damaged propeller.

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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