# Incident 20040215004289I: Piper PA28161, Camarillo, CA, February 15, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 15, 2004, 18:32 local time
- Place: Camarillo, CA
- Airport: Camarillo Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2138° N, 119.0944° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at CAMARILLO (CMA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2138&lon=-119.0944&mi=10
- Aircraft: N80908, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N80908) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 15 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040215004289I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON 02/15/04 PIPER PA-28-161, N80908 EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FIRE DURING START UP. INSPECTION OF ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED FUEL LINES REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. INTERVIEW WITH PILOT CATHY REZOS REVEALED THAT SHE USED AN ENGINE STARTING PROCEDURE THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT SHE WAS INSTRUCTED TO ACTIVATE THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND PUMP THE THROTTLE 3 TO 4 TIMES TO PRIME THE ENGINE, WHICH IS CONTRARY TO THE MANUFACTURER'S PUBLISHED PROCEDURE. THE PRIMING METHOD SHE USED CAN CAUSE OVERPRIMING WHICH MIGHT HAVE LED TO AN ENGINE BACKFIRE WHICH IGNITED THE RESIDUAL FUEL THAT WOULD BE TRAPPED IN ENGINE COWLING. COUNSELED PILOT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING PROCEDURES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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