# Incident 20231125020049I: South Florida Ultralights Inc VANS RV-9, Buckeye, AZ, November 25, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 25, 2023, 17:39 local time
- Place: Buckeye, AZ
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3703° N, 112.5838° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Buckeye, AZ, within about 11 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3703&lon=-112.5838&mi=10
- Aircraft: N998TJ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N998TJ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: South Florida Ultralights VANS RV-9 (registry code 059016M, https://openairdocs.org/model/south-florida-ultralights-vans-rv-9) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (registry code 42027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-235-c1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SOUTH FLORIDA ULTRALIGHTS INC VANS RV-9
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-235-C1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,420 total, 288 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231125020049I

## Narrative

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

ON 11/25/23 AT APPROXIMATELY 1720 THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM (27AZ) EAGLE ROOST PRIVATE AIRPARK (AQUILA, AZ) WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF BUCKEYE (KBXK). AT 1730 THE PIC NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, THEN SMALL FLAMES EMITTING FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE COWL. THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON RADIO FREQUENCY 121.5 AND LOOKED FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SPOT. THE PIC SPOTTED A STRAIGHT SECTION OF WICKENBURG ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC. THE PIC SET UP TO LAND ON THE ROAD. THE PIC SECURED THE FUEL PUMP, SHUT THE FUEL VALVE OFF, AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY TO THE ROAD. HE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AND PULLED THE AIRCRAFT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PIC THEN WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BY SMOTHERING IT WITH A JACKET AND TOWELS WHICH HE HAD IN THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT.

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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