# Incident 20130802017379I: Piper PA-28R-200, Tucson, AZ, August 2, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 2, 2013, 09:28 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.2217° N, 110.9265° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Tucson, AZ, within about 9 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2217&lon=-110.9265&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9320N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9320N) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-200 (registry code 7102811, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-200
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130802017379I

## Narrative

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

ON AUG. 2 THIS AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL SINGLE ENGINE PILOT APPLICANT AND HIS EXAMINER. WHILE FLYING OUT OF TUCSON AIRPORT (TUS) THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE RADIO PANEL POWER WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE SMOKE SUBSIDED FROM THE COCKPIT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE RADIO PANEL.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES TO THE WEST OF TUS, AND THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED TO BE CLEARED DIRECT RUNWAY 3 WHICH WAS IN SIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS CALLED OUT TO THE RUNWAY.

THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND WAS ESCORTED TO THE RAMP BY EMERGENCY FIRE TRUCKS. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT, NOR ANY INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS.

MAINTENANCE LOOKED OVER THE AIRCRAFT AND THRU A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSPONDER WAS THE CAUSE OF SMOKE BEING GENERATED. THE TRANSPONDER WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A DIODE INSIDE THE TRANSPONDER CASE BURNED OUT.

THE TRANSPONDER WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER SMOKE INDICATIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT SINCE IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.

## Other reports on N9320N (2)

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

- [Incident 20050226007429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050226007429I), Feb 26, 2005: Piper PA28R200 (N9320N), Tucson, AZ, Minor damage. (-23) Maintenance discovered damage to aircraft wing upon 100 hour inspection. CFI on board instructed the student pilot to write up a hard landing using the…
- [Accident 19981211033319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981211033319A), Dec 11, 1998: Piper PA28R200 (N9320N), Tucson, AZ, Substantial damage. Acft lost control on landing, veered off the rwy. (.19) on December 11, 1998, at 1600 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N9320N, veered off of…

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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