# Accident 20221118020379A: Piper PA-28-181, Manassas, VA, November 18, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 18, 2022, 07:30 local time
- Place: Manassas, VA
- Airport: Manassas Regional/Harry P. Davis F
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 6P2S
- Location: 38.7210° N, 77.5151° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7210&lon=-77.5151&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8129M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8129M) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-360-A1D (registry code 41504, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-360-a1d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-360-A1D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 630 total, 119 in this make and model, 179 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA065) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221118020379A

## Narrative

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

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS BEING PREPARED FOR A PART 141 TRAINING FLIGHT ON THE MORNING OF 11/18/2022. THE ACCIDENT PILOT AND THE STUDENT PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 0750. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PREPARED WITH A PREHEATING PROCEDURE FOR 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO START. THE ACCIDENT PILOT PRIMED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES AND TRIED STARTING THE AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO START AND THE ACCIDENT PILOT PRIMED THE ENGINE FROM THE THROTTLE THREE MORE TIMES.  THE SECOND START LASTED THREE TO FOUR SECONDS AND THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO START A SECOND TIME. THE ACCIDENT PILOT LET THE AIRCRAFT SIT FOR APPROXIMATELY 60 SECONDS AND TRIED A THIRD START. THE ENGINE ATTEMPTED TO START, HOWEVER, IT ULTIMATELY FAILED TO CONTINUE RUNNING. WITHOUT PRIMING, THE ACCIDENT PILOT ATTEMPTED A FOURTH AND FINAL START BEFORE SEEING A LIGHT SMOKE FROM UNDER THE COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT HAS AT THIS POINT CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE COWLING.

THE ACCIDENT PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT LEAVING THE STUDENT PILOT IN THE COCKPIT AND TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BY AIMING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER INTO THE AIR INTAKE. ONCE THE ACCIDENT PILOT DETERMINED IT WAS BECOMING OUT OF HIS CONTROL HE TOLD THE STUDENT PILOT TO SECURE THE ENGINE AND EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. THE STUDENT PILOT TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT TURNING OFF MAIN POWER OR SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FIRE QUICKLY GREW AND CONSUMED THE ENTIRE CABIN AND ENGINE BAY AREA.

UPON EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INSPECTOR CPW FOUND EVIDENCE OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT BETWEEN THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER OIL DRAIN TUBE AND THE ALTERNATOR HIGH CURRENT WIRE. THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER OIL DRAIN TUBE AND THE ALTERNATOR WIRE SHOWED SIGNS OF SEVERE ELECTRICAL ARC DAMAGE. THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER INTAKE COUPLER CLAMP ALSO REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WITH MELTED SECTIONS OF THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER INTAKE COUPLER CLAMP, COPPER FROM THE WIRE DEPOSITED ON THE TENSIONING SCREW, AND ELECTRICAL ARC DAMAGE ON OTHER SECTIONS OF THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER INTAKE COUPLER CLAMP.

FOLLOWING THE WIRE AFT, EVIDENCE OF A SECOND AND LIKELY INITIAL ELECTRICAL SHORT WAS FOUND AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT OF THE ALTERNATOR HIGH CURRENT WIRE ON THE MOTOR MOUNT FRAMEWORK. THE ATTACHMENT METHOD WAS TWO P CLAMPS SECURED TOGETHER WITH HARDWARE. THE CLAMP ON THE MOTOR MOUNT FRAMEWORK SIDE WAS MELTED THROUGH. THE CLAMP ON THE ALTERNATOR WIRE SIDE HAD MISSING SECTIONS. BOTH INSTANCES OF DAMAGE ARE EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL SHORTING. THE DAMAGED AREA IS FARTHEST FROM THE ALTERNATOR AND SOURCE OF POWER. THIS DIRECT SHORT TO GROUND LIKELY DAMAGED THE WIRE INSULATION TO THE POINT OF WIRE EXPOSURE CAUSING THE SUBSEQUENT SHORTING OCCURRENCE UNDER THE AFT RIGHT CYLINDER.

IT IS BELIEVED THE FIRE WAS FUELED BY THE EXCESSIVE ENGINE PRIMING AND FAILURE TO DISENGAGE THE FUEL PUMP RESULTING IN A LARGER FIRE WITH HULL LOSS. THE INITIAL IGNITION POINT WAS THE ALTERNATOR WIRE CHAFING ON THE ENGINE MOTOR MOUNT FRAMEWORK CAUSING A SECOND INSTANCE OF ELECTRICAL SHORTING ALONG THE PATH OF THE WIRE LEADING TO THE ALTERNATOR. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

## 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 ERA23LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA065), Nov 18, 2022: Piper PA-28-181 (N8129M), Manassas, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: An engine fire caused by chafing and subsequent electrical arcing of the alternator wire near a fuel source.

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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