# Incident 19991024029829I: Cessna 172F, Cortland, NY, October 24, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 24, 1999, 16:40 local time
- Place: Cortland, NY
- Airport: Cortland County/Chase Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5926° N, 76.2149° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CORTLAND COUNTY/CHASE FLD (N03), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5926&lon=-76.2149&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5648R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5648R) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172F (registry code 2072414, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991024029829I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1999, AT APPROX. 1640 LOCAL, A CESSNA 172, CO-OWNED AND OPERATED BY WALTER A. DIPPO OF CORTLAND, NY, REPORTED AN ENGINE FIRE AFTER TAXIING TO THE RUN-UP AREA AT CORTLAND COUNTY AIRPORT (N03). DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. DIPPO ON OCTOBER 25, 1999, HE STATED THAT HE HAD PRIMED THE ENGINE AND IT HAD STARTED NORMALLY BEFORE TAXIING TO THE RUN-UP AREA.  THE ENGINE STALLED A FEW MOMENTS LATER, HE RE-PRIMED THE ENGINE AND AGAIN IT HAD STARTED NORMALLY.  HE CONTINUED TO TAXI TO THE RUNWAY WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND QUIT A SECOND TIME.  AT THIS POINT, HE NOTED SMOKE COMING FROM THE COWLING.  HE OPENED THE OIL SERVICE DOOR TO LOOK FORWARD AND SAW FLAMES.  HE DID NOT HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT SO HE RAN TO THE LOCAL HANGAR.  THERE WAS NOT ANYONE AT THE HANGAR, SO HE RAN ACROSS THE STREET TO OBTAIN A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM A LOCAL RESIDENT.  UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE FIRE HAD STARTED IN THE CARBURETOR BOX AREA AND HAD BURNED EXTERNALLY FOR THE MOST PART.  THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE FOUND INTERNALLY TO WIRING AND HOSES, BUT ONLY IN THE FORWARD MOST SECTION OF THE ENGINE.  THE BOTTOM COWLING SUFFERED THE MOST DAMAGE AS  AS THE SPINNER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

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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