20031125033179I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Mobile, AL · November 25, 2003

Date: November 25, 2003 · 15:30 local
Place: Mobile, AL
Airport: Brookley
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3792W
Reported as: Piper PA32260
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
Pilot’s flight hours: 330 total30 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N3792WRegistered now · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-719 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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) On November 25, 2003 N3792W experienced smoke in the cockpit due to an engine fire, aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing at Brookley field (bfm), Alabama. Inspection of the aircraft engine revealed the right side of the engine exhaust manifold system was missing six nuts at the engine connection point. The heat from the loose exhaust manifold, melted the rocker cover gaskets causing oil to drip on the exhaust system resulting in an engine fire, and smoke in the cockpit. The pilot landed the aircraft safely and there were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 25, 2003 N3792W EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO AN ENGINE FIRE, AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT BROOKLEY FIELD (BFM), ALABAMA. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE REVEALED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD SYSTEM WAS MISSING SIX NUTS AT THE ENGINE CONNECTION POINT. THE HEAT FROM THE LOOSE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, MELTED THE ROCKER COVER GASKETS CAUSING OIL TO DRIP ON THE EXHAUST SYSTEM RESULTING IN AN ENGINE FIRE, AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.