# Accident 20160513006699A: Piper PA-22-108, Gallatin, TN, May 13, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 2016, 14:20 local time
- Place: Gallatin, TN
- Airport: Sumner County Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.3733° N, 86.4083° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3733&lon=-86.4083&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5823Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5823Z-2018-03-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-108 (registry code 7102204, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-22-108
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA183) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160513006699A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 13, 2106, AT APPROXIMATELY 1420 LOCAL, N5823Z DEPARTED RUNWAY 35.  UPON DEPARTURE, AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE PIC NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE LEFT LOWER AREA IN THE COCKPIT.  THE PIC THEN ELECTED TO IMMEDIATELY TURN BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY AND ATTEMPT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 17.  DURING THE TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, THE PIC NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE LEFT FLOORBOARD AREA IN THE COCKPIT.  THE PIC STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO TRY AND STOMP THE FIRE OUT WITH NO SUCCESS.  WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STEEP TURN BACK TOWARD RUNWAY 17, SUBSEQUENTLY COMING VERY LOW AND CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND THE HANGARS LOCATED TO THE WEST END OF RUNWAY 35/17.  PIC STATED HE OBSERVED THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 20 FEET AGL BUT THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AGAIN DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.  WITNESSES? STATE THE AIRCRAFT FIRST CONTACTED THE RUNWAY ABOUT 3000 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED WITH CONTACT MARKS FROM THE AIRPLANE LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY.  TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY SHOWED THAT AFTER CONTACTING THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE RUNWAY EDGE, THEN SWERVED BACK TOWARD THE CENTERLINE.  THE AIRCRAFT THEN SWERVED BACK TO THE RIGHT, WHERE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY.  MARKINGS ON THE RUNWAY INDICATED THE PROP STRIKE AND SUBSEQUENT WING STRIKE ON THE RUNWAY.   THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 4200 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY.  THE PIC AND THE 2 PASSENGERS WERE THEN ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BURN.  THE PIC AND THE 2 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT.  POST FLIGHT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CONTAINED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FOD THAT MORE THAN LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE START OF THE FIRE IN THE AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA16LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA183), May 13, 2016: Piper PA 22 (N5823Z), Gallatin, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in an inflight fire due to the presence of a bird nest in the engine compartment.

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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