# Incident 20130831017499I: Piper PA-28-161, El Cajon, CA, August 31, 2013 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 31, 2013, 15:50 local time - Place: El Cajon, CA - Airport: Gillespie - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141) - Operator: CLWS - Location: 32.8262° N, 116.9724° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GILLESPIE FLD (SEE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8262&lon=-116.9724&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8422D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8422D-2014-03-28) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 50 total - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130831017499I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HI, THIS REPORT IS REGARDING THE AIRCRAFT FIRE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON AUGUST 31, 2013. THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT CALIFORNIA FLIGHT ACADEMY BASED AT GILLESPIE FIELD (KSEE) AND A STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WE STARTED AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH PIPER WARRIOR N8422D TAKING OFF FROM KSEE AT 1430. WE LANDED BACK AT KSEE RUNWAY 27L AT AROUND 1600. SHORTLY AFTER CLEARING THE RUNWAY ON TAXIWAY D4, AIRCRAFT ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY SHUT DOWN WHICH WE RESPONDED TO THE CHECKLIST TO RESTART THE ENGINE. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE SO WE PROCEEDED TO USE THE SHUTDOWN CHECKLIST. AIRCRAFT NOT BEING ABLE TO TAXI TO THE RAMP, WE CONTACTED KSEE GROUND CONTROL TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE. AT THIS MOMENT WE NOTICED THE DISTINCT SMELL OF BURNING AND OBSERVED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COWLING. WE IMMEDIATELY DOUBLE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE FUEL PUMP AND THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROL WAS IDLE CUT-OFF AND ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT WERE SHUT DOWN. WE CHECKED THE BAGGAGE AREA FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHICH WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND. WITHOUT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WE CHECKED THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SAW FIRE BURNING UNDERSIDE OF THE COWLING NEAR THE EXHAUST AREA. FIRE WENT OUT AFTER BURNING APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. HEARTLAND FIRE AND RESCUE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND MADE SURE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE. WE DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH OUR CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. WE DETERMINED THE REASONABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE TO BE THE CARBURETOR OVERFLOWING WITH FUEL DUE TO HIGH OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE, RICH MIXTURE AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP BEING LEFT ON AT THE TIME OF RESTARTING THE ENGINE. AT CALIFORNIA FLIGHT ACADEMY, WE ARE TAKING PROACTIVE MEASURES TO TRAIN OUR STUDENTS AND ALSO INSTRUCTORS TO LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^CFI EXPIRATION: 01/2015 DOB: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LAST 141 CHECK RIDE: HOURS IN PA-28: 200HRS HOURS IN LAST 90 DAYS: 150HRS HOURS IN LAST YEAR: 400HRS TOTAL HOURS: 600HRS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DOB: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOTAL HOURS: 50HRS 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.