19991027031099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-22-108 · Masontown, WV · October 27, 1999

Date: October 27, 1999 · 14:15 local
Place: Masontown, WV
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4905Z
Reported as: Piper PA22108
Reported engine: Lycoming O235C1B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 900 total750 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N4905ZRegistration cancelled Jun 8, 2000 · Piper PA-22-108S/N 22-8490 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-108

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.

(-23) The pilot stated that while at a cruise altitude of 3000' MSL, enroute from fairmont municipal airport (4G7) to valley point airport (WV29), he encountered an in-flight fire that originated at the lower left portion of the firewall area. The pilot made an off-airport landing in a reclaimed strip mine site. The emergency landing resulted in minor damage to the propeller, both wings, the nose landing gear and the right main landing gear. The fire was a result of a fuel leak at the fuel gascolator caused by a faulty rubber seal. The aircraft was using autofuel in accordance with a supplemental type certificate. This office will initiate a malfunction or defect report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 3000' MSL, ENROUTE FROM FAIRMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (4G7) TO VALLEY POINT AIRPORT (WV29), HE ENCOUNTERED AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE THAT ORIGINATED AT THE LOWER LEFT PORTION OF THE FIREWALL AREA. THE PILOT MADE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A RECLAIMED STRIP MINE SITE. THE EMERGENCY LANDING RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, BOTH WINGS, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE FIRE WAS A RESULT OF A FUEL LEAK AT THE FUEL GASCOLATOR CAUSED BY A FAULTY RUBBER SEAL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS USING AUTOFUEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. THIS OFFICE WILL INITIATE A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT.