What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 13, 2002, at 2155 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161 single-engine airplane, N96PF, was destroyed by fire following a report of an in-flight fire during a night cross country flight. The pilot managed to land the airplane on interstate highway 35 near Purcell, Oklahoma. The instrument-rated commercial pilot and the 3 passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by Oklahoma irrigation inc., of bethany, Oklahoma under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the night cross country flight for which a weather briefing was obtained and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from the mckinney airport (tki), near mckinney, Texas, at 2041, with the wiley post airport (pwa), near Oklahoma city, as its intended destination. The pilot was receiving traffic advisories from Oklahoma city approach control when he reported a cabin fire that appeared to have originated from the area under and behind a passenger seat. The fire intensified and smoke filled the cabin, and the pilot elected to execute an emergency landing on the north bound lanes of INTERSTATE35, near Purcell. The pilot managed to avoid vehicular traffic on the highway and execute a successful landing on the highway. After all of the occupants deplaned, the fire continued to burn out of control until the fuselage and cabin were consumed by fire. (-23) N96PF was on a VFR x-country from mckinney, TX to wiley post airport, OK (pwa). Pilot, 1 adult & 2 children were on board. N96PF was nb at 4500 ft in vicinity of Purcell, OK when adult lady in back right seat of aircraft complained of seat getting hot. The lady moved to the left on seat and a short time later the lady said she could see a very narrow 2-inch light emanating from middle of seat. Shortly thereafter there were visible flames. The pilot called okc approach control and N96PF was vectored to Purcell airport, but pilot opted to land on interstate 35 because of developing fire that they could not extinguish. N96PF landed without incident and all escaped (2 with minor injuries). The cabin was totally destroyed by fire along with aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 13, 2002, AT 2155 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N96PF, WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE FOLLOWING A REPORT OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE DURING A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT MANAGED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 35 NEAR PURCELL, OKLAHOMA. THE INSTRUMENT-RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE 3 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY OKLAHOMA IRRIGATION INC., OF BETHANY, OKLAHOMA UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FOR WHICH A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED AND A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MCKINNEY AIRPORT (TKI), NEAR MCKINNEY, TEXAS, AT 2041, WITH THE WILEY POST AIRPORT (PWA), NEAR OKLAHOMA CITY, AS ITS INTENDED DESTINATION. THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING TRAFFIC ADVISORIES FROM OKLAHOMA CITY APPROACH CONTROL WHEN HE REPORTED A CABIN FIRE THAT APPEARED TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE AREA UNDER AND BEHIND A PASSENGER SEAT. THE FIRE INTENSIFIED AND SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN, AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE NORTH BOUND LANES OF INTERSTATE35, NEAR PURCELL. THE PILOT MANAGED TO AVOID VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY AND EXECUTE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS DEPLANED, THE FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL THE FUSELAGE AND CABIN WERE CONSUMED BY FIRE. (-23) N96PF WAS ON A VFR X-COUNTRY FROM MCKINNEY, TX TO WILEY POST AIRPORT, OK (PWA). PILOT, 1 ADULT & 2 CHILDREN WERE ON BOARD. N96PF WAS NB AT 4500 FT IN VICINITY OF PURCELL, OK WHEN ADULT LADY IN BACK RIGHT SEAT OF AIRCRAFT COMPLAINED OF SEAT GETTING HOT. THE LADY MOVED TO THE LEFT ON SEAT AND A SHORT TIME LATER THE LADY SAID SHE COULD SEE A VERY NARROW 2-INCH LIGHT EMANATING FROM MIDDLE OF SEAT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THERE WERE VISIBLE FLAMES. THE PILOT CALLED OKC APPROACH CONTROL AND N96PF WAS VECTORED TO PURCELL AIRPORT, BUT PILOT OPTED TO LAND ON INTERSTATE 35 BECAUSE OF DEVELOPING FIRE THAT THEY COULD NOT EXTINGUISH. N96PF LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND ALL ESCAPED (2 WITH MINOR INJURIES). THE CABIN WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE ALONG WITH AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.