20030914023999I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-160 · Union, SC · September 14, 2003

Date: September 14, 2003 · 19:15 local
Place: Union, SC
Airport: Union Co/Shelton Field Airport
Phase of flight: Starting Engines
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5467W
Reported as: Piper PA28160
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N5467WRegistered now · Piper PA-28-160S/N 28-548 · Built 1962 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-160 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) Pilot reported after landing the engine sputtered then quit, a restart was attempted and the engine compartment caught on fire. The pilot shut down the engine and crash fire and rescue extinguished the fire. Examination by an aircraft mechanic disclosed the carburetor had possibly flooded during the restart causing the fire. A replacement carburetor was installed, the engine was started normally, no further malfunction was noted.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED AFTER LANDING THE ENGINE SPUTTERED THEN QUIT, A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND CRASH FIRE AND RESCUE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. EXAMINATION BY AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC DISCLOSED THE CARBURETOR HAD POSSIBLY FLOODED DURING THE RESTART CAUSING THE FIRE. A REPLACEMENT CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED NORMALLY, NO FURTHER MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED.