# Accident 20191117021679A: Piper PA-32-300, Venice, FL, November 17, 2019 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 17, 2019, 12:37 local time - Place: Venice, FL - Airport: Venice Municipal - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Taxi - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.0672° N, 82.4403° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.0672&lon=-82.4403&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5909V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5909V-2020-07-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-300 - Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,000 total, 35 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA036) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191117021679A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON NOVEMBER 17, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1237 LOCAL TIME N5909V, A 1977 PIPER, PA-32 CAUGHT FIRE WHILE TAXING FOR DEPARTURE. N5909V ATTEMPTED A DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 5 AT VENICE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KVNC) VENICE FL, FOR NORTH ELEUTHERA AIRPORT (MYEH) NORTH ELEUTHERA, BAHAMAS. THE PILOT REPORTED FEELING WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS A BRAKE MALFUNCTION WHILE TAXING TO THE RUNWAY FOR DEPARTURE. THE PILOT DECIDED TO CIRCLE AWAY FROM RUNWAY 5 TO TEST THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES BEFORE DEPARTURE. AFTER CIRCLING BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE PILOT REPORTED SMELLING SMOKE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. RECEIVED A WITNESS STATEMENT THAT OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, N5909V, TAXIING ON TAXIWAY C TOWARD RUNWAY 5. THE WITNESS STATED, THAT WHEN N5909V TAXIED BY HIM THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF POWER BEING USED RELATIVE TO THE TAXI SPEED OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE TAIL LOW ATTITUDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED, HE THOUGHT THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING RUN-UP PROCEDURES ON TAXI AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEAVY. THE WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED N5909V MOVING FROM ITS STOPPED POSITION AND APPEARED TO BE APPROACHING THE RUNWAY BUT CONTINUED A LEFT TURN TO WHAT SEEMED TO BE HEADING BACK UP TAXIWAY E. SEVERAL FEET LATER, THE AIRCRAFT MADE ANOTHER LEFT TURN DURING THIS MANEUVERING; THE WITNESS SAID HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS SAND BLOWING AROUND BECAUSE OF THE HIGH POWER BEING UTILIZED TO MAKE THE TURN. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING WHAT THE WITNESS BELIEVED WAS THE RUNWAY HOLDING POSITION MARKINGS, HE OBSERVED MORE WHITE COLOR AND IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT SMOKE. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL MOVING AND CONTINUED MAKING A LEFT TURN TO RUNWAY HEADING. AT THAT MOMENT, THE WITNESS SAID HE COULD SEE BOTH THE NOSE WHEEL AND MAIN GEAR AND NOTICED AN ORANGE COLOR ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. WITNESS STATED ONCE HE REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FIRE, HE CONTACTED VENICE FIRE AND RESCUE. ONCE ON SCENE, THE FAA INSPECTOR FOUND A LARGE AMOUNT OF FLAMMABLE HAZMAT (CANS OF PAINTING SUPPLIES) AMONG THE DEBRIS. PIC STATED HE WAS CARRYING PAINT AND PAINTING EQUIPMENT ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT, IN ORDER TO PAINT HIS FRIENDS BOAT. THE NTSB CLASSIFIED THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AS DESTROYED. ## 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 ERA20CA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA036), Nov 17, 2019: Piper PA32 (N5909V), Venice, FL, destroyed. Probable cause: A stuck brake caliper, which overheated while the pilot was taxiing the airplane, caught fire, and subsequently destroyed the airplane. ## Other reports on N5909V (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19781004043819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19781004043819A), Oct 4, 1978: Piper PA32RT300 (N5909V), Chicago, IL, Substantial damage. R wing struck by forward left side of utility truck. 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.