# Incident 20230927016449I: Piper PA-28-180, Manassas, VA, September 27, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 27, 2023, 13:28 local time
- Place: Manassas, VA
- Airport: Manassas Regional/Harry P. Davis F
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7468° N, 77.4826° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Manassas, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7468&lon=-77.4826&mi=10
- Aircraft: N41209, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N41209) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 427 total, 35 in this make and model, 92 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230927016449I

## Narrative

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

MY STUDENT PILOT AND I HAD GONE OUT TO THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT HAD FINISHED ITS 100 HOUR INSPECTION. WE WERE PLANNING TO GO UP FOR A TRAINING SESSION. WE HAD FINISHED OUR PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOOD TO FLY. WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT USING THE PRIMER, IN THE PAST WE WERE ABLE TO START IT WITHOUT THE PRIMER, WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS. I HAD DECIDED TO USE TWO PUMPS OF PRIMER AND OPEN THE THROTTLE, A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL, TO ATTEMPT A START. THE ENGINE NEVER FULLY TURNED OVER. I DECIDED TO SHUT EVERYTHING OFF AND INSPECT THE COWLING TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE. UPON MY INSPECTION, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE COWLING. I EVACUATED MY STUDENT PILOT AND GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO ATTEMPT TO PUT IT OUT. THE SMALL EXTINGUISHER THAT I HAD WAS INSUFFICIENT. I CALLED 911 AND WE STEPPED AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AIRPORT OPERATIONS CAME TO SUPPRESS IT AS MUCH AS THEY COULD BUT COULD NOT FULLY EXTINGUISH IT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME A FEW MINUTES LATER AND PUT OUT THE FLAMES.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT PRIOR TO THIS INCIDDENT.  ALL PRIMER NOZZLES WERE OPEN, THROTTLE FUCTION NORMALLY.  ENGINE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE TO START IT. POH DOES NOT LIST PUMPING THROTTLE TO START, REQUIRES PUMPING PRIMER.

## Other reports on N41209 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19990227011529I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990227011529I), Feb 27, 1999: Piper PA28180 (N41209), Trenton, NJ, Minor damage. Instructor stated that student made a "hard landing" at somerset airport near somerset,NJ. During a touch and go. Once airborne they heard a loud banging noise…

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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