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20220327012039I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Columbia, SC · March 27, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 27, 2022 · 13:20 local
Place
Columbia, SC
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N8300R
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,380 total
N8300RRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-22168 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine 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.

FAA form 8020-9: privacy data omitteda P28A was VFR inbound to cae.privacy data omitted Was told to enter a right base to RWY29 and switched to tower. Tower cleared the aircraft to land RWY29. The pilot never responded and never declared an emergency. Both tower and radar tried to contact the aircraft on multiple frequencies including 121.5, with no response. The pilotprivacy data omitted, called cae tower from his cellphoneprivacy data omitted and stated he had smoke behind the panel and lost communications and decided to land in a field. (34.06542N/81.08839W). The pilot stated that he was fine and had no injuries and reported that there was no damage to the aircraft. (No other souls on board) cae and the pilot called local law enforcement to have them send someone to the scene.

Pilot statement: I privacy data omittedwas flying aircraft privacy data omitted from ksvh to kcae. Upon my descent into kcae I noticed the ammeter was wavering and a few minutes later all of the electrical equipment in the airplane failed. I then looked down and noticed a lot of smoke billowing in the cabin from behind the instrument panel. I immediately shut down all electrical equipment and looked for a spot to land in an abundance of caution there was some sort of fire. I landed in a large field just outside of Columbia.

As the FAA filed it

FAA FORM 8020-9: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^A P28A WAS VFR INBOUND TO CAE.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS TOLD TO ENTER A RIGHT BASE TO RWY29 AND SWITCHED TO TOWER. TOWER CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND RWY29. THE PILOT NEVER RESPONDED AND NEVER DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. BOTH TOWER AND RADAR TRIED TO CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT ON MULTIPLE FREQUENCIES INCLUDING 121.5, WITH NO RESPONSE. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CALLED CAE TOWER FROM HIS CELLPHONE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND STATED HE HAD SMOKE BEHIND THE PANEL AND LOST COMMUNICATIONS AND DECIDED TO LAND IN A FIELD. (34.06542N/81.08839W). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FINE AND HAD NO INJURIES AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. (NO OTHER SOULS ON BOARD) CAE AND THE PILOT CALLED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE THEM SEND SOMEONE TO THE SCENE.

PILOT STATEMENT: I ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS FLYING AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM KSVH TO KCAE. UPON MY DESCENT INTO KCAE I NOTICED THE AMMETER WAS WAVERING AND A FEW MINUTES LATER ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IN THE AIRPLANE FAILED. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED A LOT OF SMOKE BILLOWING IN THE CABIN FROM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND LOOKED FOR A SPOT TO LAND IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION THERE WAS SOME SORT OF FIRE. I LANDED IN A LARGE FIELD JUST OUTSIDE OF COLUMBIA.