20130109000809I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 150E · El Cajon, CA · January 9, 2013

Date: January 9, 2013 · 15:45 local
Place: El Cajon, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3069J
Reported as: Cessna 150E
Reported engine: Continental 0-200 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 285 total3 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N3069JRegistered now · Cessna 150ES/N 15061169 · Built 1965 Airframe modelCessna 150E Engine modelContinental 0-200 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.

During climb-out, the pilot detected a smell like something burning and noticed a wisp of smoke in the cabin. ATC reported that the pilot declared an emergency and returned for landing. The aircraft landed without incident. It was discovered that the right muffler had failed causing exhaust gasses to be directed onto the battery box area. The battery contactor relay and other wiring in the area was damaged as well. It was determined that the end cap of the muffler had failed at the weld and had come completely off.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CLIMB-OUT, THE PILOT DETECTED A SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BURNING AND NOTICED A WISP OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. ATC REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED FOR LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT MUFFLER HAD FAILED CAUSING EXHAUST GASSES TO BE DIRECTED ONTO THE BATTERY BOX AREA. THE BATTERY CONTACTOR RELAY AND OTHER WIRING IN THE AREA WAS DAMAGED AS WELL. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE END CAP OF THE MUFFLER HAD FAILED AT THE WELD AND HAD COME COMPLETELY OFF.