20180817014399I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Okeechobee, FL · August 17, 2018

Date: August 17, 2018 · 09:15 local
Place: Okeechobee, FL
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N557PU
Reported as: Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 72 total72 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days

N557PURegistered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 2842094 · Built 2000 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine 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.

On aug 17 at 1315Z, N557PU a Piper PA-28-161 while holding short runway 14 reported fire coming from engine cowling. Pilot deployed fire suppressant. Aircraft was towed to ramp. No injuries. Aircraft damage was minor.

Maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and found the starter relay had stuck closed during engine start. This kept the starter engaged, which overspeed the starter and the starter caught fire. Upon further inspection, the damage was limited to the starter relay, starter, alternator and the alternator field and inop wires. They replaced the starter and alternator, spliced in new field and inop wires. Run up check good, work complete.

SDR-ECPR2018090480128

As the FAA filed it

ON AUG 17 AT 1315Z, N557PU A PIPER PA-28-161 WHILE HOLDING SHORT RUNWAY 14 REPORTED FIRE COMING FROM ENGINE COWLING. PILOT DEPLOYED FIRE SUPPRESSANT. AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO RAMP. NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS MINOR.

MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE STARTER RELAY HAD STUCK CLOSED DURING ENGINE START. THIS KEPT THE STARTER ENGAGED, WHICH OVERSPEED THE STARTER AND THE STARTER CAUGHT FIRE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE STARTER RELAY, STARTER, ALTERNATOR AND THE ALTERNATOR FIELD AND INOP WIRES. THEY REPLACED THE STARTER AND ALTERNATOR, SPLICED IN NEW FIELD AND INOP WIRES. RUN UP CHECK GOOD, WORK COMPLETE.

SDR-ECPR2018090480128