20161220021919I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 152 · San Diego, CA · December 20, 2016

Date: December 20, 2016 · 09:00 local
Place: San Diego, CA
Airport: Gillespie Field
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N49784
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours: 95 total51 in this make and model51 in the last 90 days

N49784Registration cancelled Jul 18, 2018 · Cessna 152S/N 15283513 · Built 1979 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

First flight of the day the pilot reported in his first attempt to start the engine he primed the engine one time and cranked the engine for 10 seconds. A second attempt was made to start the engine but it failed to start. He waited 10 seconds and then attempted a third start. Pilots from another aircraft that was taxing in front of him signaled that there was a fire. As he exited the aircraft to verify he could see fire under the engine. Another instructor quickly put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.

As the FAA filed it

FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY THE PILOT REPORTED IN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE HE PRIMED THE ENGINE ONE TIME AND CRANKED THE ENGINE FOR 10 SECONDS. A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO START THE ENGINE BUT IT FAILED TO START. HE WAITED 10 SECONDS AND THEN ATTEMPTED A THIRD START. PILOTS FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT THAT WAS TAXING IN FRONT OF HIM SIGNALED THAT THERE WAS A FIRE. AS HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO VERIFY HE COULD SEE FIRE UNDER THE ENGINE. ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR QUICKLY PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER.