20030303007539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Harrisburg, PA · March 3, 2003

Date: March 3, 2003 · 15:23 local
Place: Harrisburg, PA
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3784K
Reported as: Piper PA28140
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E2A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 850 total300 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N3784KRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-23729 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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 subject aircraft was being delivered to a new owner based at (mmk). The commercial pilot called to taxi at 2012Z from aero services. He departed MDT at 2022Z. On his climb out he noticed smoke in the cockpit and called tower to land (2023Z) and landed at 2024Z. After an uneventful landing the top cowling was opened. The #4 exhaust riser had pulled out of the muffler slip joint. This allowed hot exhaust gas to melt the insulation on all the electrical wiring at the starter contactor and wiring entry to the firewall. A prompt response by the pilot prevented serious damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS BEING DELIVERED TO A NEW OWNER BASED AT (MMK). THE COMMERCIAL PILOT CALLED TO TAXI AT 2012Z FROM AERO SERVICES. HE DEPARTED MDT AT 2022Z. ON HIS CLIMB OUT HE NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND CALLED TOWER TO LAND (2023Z) AND LANDED AT 2024Z. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING THE TOP COWLING WAS OPENED. THE #4 EXHAUST RISER HAD PULLED OUT OF THE MUFFLER SLIP JOINT. THIS ALLOWED HOT EXHAUST GAS TO MELT THE INSULATION ON ALL THE ELECTRICAL WIRING AT THE STARTER CONTACTOR AND WIRING ENTRY TO THE FIREWALL. A PROMPT RESPONSE BY THE PILOT PREVENTED SERIOUS DAMAGE.