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)On 04/30/2000, N2901T, a Piper PA-28-161 operated on the ground at Merced muni airport transit tiedown area by a private pilot at the cotnrols attempted to start a hot engine when it caught onfire and burned the fiberglass resin of the cowling causing heat damage to the firewall forward products and accessories.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON 04/30/2000, N2901T, A PIPER PA-28-161 OPERATED ON THE GROUND AT MERCED MUNI AIRPORT TRANSIT TIEDOWN AREA BY A PRIVATE PILOT AT THE COTNROLS ATTEMPTED TO START A HOT ENGINE WHEN IT CAUGHT ONFIRE AND BURNED THE FIBERGLASS RESIN OF THE COWLING CAUSING HEAT DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL FORWARD PRODUCTS AND ACCESSORIES.