20100212029229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Watkins, CO · February 12, 2010

Date: February 12, 2010 · 10:15 local
Place: Watkins, CO
Airport: Front Range
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: U51S
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1533E
Reported as: Piper PA-34200
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,520 total147 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N1533ERegistered now · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7350050 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200 Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

Taxing for departure on training flight. During taxi noted acrid smell in aircraft after heater was turned on. Just prior to reaching ground control line, noticed smoke under the pilots side instrument panel. Aircraft was shut down. Pilots exited aircraft and noticed smoke coming out of nose wheel well. Nose cowl was opened and fire extinguisher was used to put out fire in nose compartment. Suspect battery and or battery wiring initiated the fire in the compartment.

As the FAA filed it

TAXING FOR DEPARTURE ON TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING TAXI NOTED ACRID SMELL IN AIRCRAFT AFTER HEATER WAS TURNED ON. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING GROUND CONTROL LINE, NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE PILOTS SIDE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN. PILOTS EXITED AIRCRAFT AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF NOSE WHEEL WELL. NOSE COWL WAS OPENED AND FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS USED TO PUT OUT FIRE IN NOSE COMPARTMENT. SUSPECT BATTERY AND OR BATTERY WIRING INITIATED THE FIRE IN THE COMPARTMENT.

Other reports on N1533E · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20051212028529INormal Cruise · Avoca, PA(-23) While enroute from northeast philadelphia (pne) to williamsport, PA (ipt), the pilot observed a large amount of oil seeping from the left engine cowling. The airman declared an emergency, shut down the left engine, and landed in Avoca, PA (avp). Flight…Dec 12, 2005 Incident 19990520015279IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Reading, PAAfter landing on runway 36 the nose gear collapsed and the engines abruptly stopped. The aircraft skidded for several hundred yards. The pilot used differential braking to maintain directional control and slow the aircraft to a stop.May 20, 1999 · Minor damage