20050914031299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 175 · Wadena, MN · September 14, 2005

Date: September 14, 2005 · 13:15 local
Place: Wadena, MN
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7219M
Reported as: Cessna 175
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 950 total650 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N7219MRegistered now · Cessna 175S/N 55519 · Built 1958 Airframe modelCessna 175 Engine modelContinental GO-300 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 pilot privacy data omitted departed the Wadena municipal airport when he experienced smoke and then fire coming from the engine cowling while in flight. He made an emergency landing at an abandoned airfield in the town of Wadena, approximately 5 miles east of the departure airport. Post incident inspection of the aircraft revealed the damage to be limited to fire damage in the engine compartment of the aircraft, with the fire being concentrated in and around the carburetor area and the lower left hand side of the engine itself. Examination of the exhaust muffler under the heat shroud revealed extensive cracking and errosion of the muffler. The condition of the muffler was allowing hot exhaust gases to be directed into the carburetor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OM^ DEPARTED THE WADENA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHEN HE EXPERIENCED SMOKE AND THEN FIRE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING WHILE IN FLIGHT. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT AN ABANDONED AIRFIELD IN THE TOWN OF WADENA, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES EAST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. POST INCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE DAMAGE TO BE LIMITED TO FIRE DAMAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WITH THE FIRE BEING CONCENTRATED IN AND AROUND THE CARBURETOR AREA AND THE LOWER LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ENGINE ITSELF. EXAMINATION OF THE EXHAUST MUFFLER UNDER THE HEAT SHROUD REVEALED EXTENSIVE CRACKING AND ERROSION OF THE MUFFLER. THE CONDITION OF THE MUFFLER WAS ALLOWING HOT EXHAUST GASES TO BE DIRECTED INTO THE CARBURETOR.