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20150919019049A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Tarentum, PA · September 19, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 19, 2015 · 11:30 local
Place
Tarentum, PA
Airport
Pittsburgh Northeast Airport
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9887K
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA15LA369
Reported as
Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,506 total1,800 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N9887KRegistration cancelled Feb 6, 2017 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-7816206 · Built 1977Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

At approximately 11:30 am on Saturday September 19, 2015, at Northeast Pittsburgh airport (K9G1) pa, N9887K, a Piper PA-28-161 became engulfed in fire while the pilot attempted to start the engine. The pilot, the sole occupant, was able to evacuate the aircraft without injuries. The fire continued to burn until firefighting equipment arrived to extinguish it. The fire consumed approximately 60% of the fuselage, 50% of the right wing and caused the right wing spar to yield and deform.

The pilot stated that shortly after he had departed butler airport (kbtp), PA on his way to richmond airport (kric), VA , he heard a "rattle" and decided to perform a precautionary landing at K9G1. After landing and taxiing to the ramp area, he shut down the engine and then realized that his noise canceling headphones were turned off and that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft. He attempted to restart the engine and observed smoke coming from under the cowling. The pilot stated that he continued to crank the engine as he had been taught, but more smoke continued to develop and he exited the aircraft at that time. The pilot also stated that he had used the engine primer during engine start. Of note is that the pilots operating handbook approved 12/16/1976 states in paragraph 3.7, "engine fires during start": engine fires during start are usually the result of overpriming".

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 AM ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2015, AT NORTHEAST PITTSBURGH AIRPORT (K9G1) PA, N9887K, A PIPER PA-28-161 BECAME ENGULFED IN FIRE WHILE THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH IT. THE FIRE CONSUMED APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE FUSELAGE, 50% OF THE RIGHT WING AND CAUSED THE RIGHT WING SPAR TO YIELD AND DEFORM.

THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER HE HAD DEPARTED BUTLER AIRPORT (KBTP), PA ON HIS WAY TO RICHMOND AIRPORT (KRIC), VA , HE HEARD A "RATTLE" AND DECIDED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT K9G1. AFTER LANDING AND TAXIING TO THE RAMP AREA, HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND THEN REALIZED THAT HIS NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES WERE TURNED OFF AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CONTINUED TO CRANK THE ENGINE AS HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT, BUT MORE SMOKE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP AND HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT TIME. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD USED THE ENGINE PRIMER DURING ENGINE START. OF NOTE IS THAT THE PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK APPROVED 12/16/1976 STATES IN PARAGRAPH 3.7, "ENGINE FIRES DURING START": ENGINE FIRES DURING START ARE USUALLY THE RESULT OF OVERPRIMING".

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA15LA369Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPittsburg, PAAn engine fire, which resulted from the overpriming of a hot engine.Sep 19, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9887K · 1

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

Incident 19781016033119IOther Ground Ops · Van Nuys, CARear seat spring contacted battery terminal and caused a fire.Oct 16, 1978 · Minor damage