40.4123° N, 86.9369° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs at PURDUE UNIVERSITY (LAF), within about a mile.Open in the map
Date
July 17, 2011 · 17:00 local
Place
West Lafayette, IN
Airport
Purdue University
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N800EE
Reported as
Cessna 421C
Reported engine
Continental GTSIO-520-C
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
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.
During the taxi, the pilot noted smoke from the left cowling. The aircraft was stopped, shut down, and the people evacuated. Maintenance found the start relay was stuck in the "on" position causing the starter to exceed time limitations and overheat. This caused the smoke from the left cowling. There was no fire.
As the FAA filed it
DURING THE TAXI, THE PILOT NOTED SMOKE FROM THE LEFT COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED, SHUT DOWN, AND THE PEOPLE EVACUATED. MAINTENANCE FOUND THE START RELAY WAS STUCK IN THE "ON" POSITION CAUSING THE STARTER TO EXCEED TIME LIMITATIONS AND OVERHEAT. THIS CAUSED THE SMOKE FROM THE LEFT COWLING. THERE WAS NO FIRE.