# Incident 20240113000129I: Piper PA-28-180, Mesa, AZ, January 13, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 13, 2024, 08:29 local time
- Place: Mesa, AZ
- Airport: Falcon Fld
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.4608° N, 111.7283° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FALCON FLD (FFZ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4608&lon=-111.7283&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7788W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7788W) (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: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 85 total, 84 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240113000129I

## Narrative

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

ON SATURDAY JANUARY 13TH THE PIC ARRIVED AT FALCON FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 7: 15 AM. HE PROCEEDED TO DO A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE AND RECHECKED THE WEATHER FOR THE FLIGHT HE HAD PLANNED. THE PIC STARTED THE PLANE AND LET IT WARM UP FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES. AFTER THE PLANE WAS WARM, HE GOT IN AND CONTACTED FALCON GROUND CONTROL AND TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RUNWAY 4R. DURING THE RUN-UP THE ENGINE HESITATED AND WOULDN'T GO TO FULL THROTTLE. THE PIC THEN RECHECKED THE MIXURE AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANY RPM DROP IN EITHER MAG. HE CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL AGAIN AND WENT BACK TO HIS HANGAR. ONCE AT THE HANGAR HE SHUT OFF THE POWER AND GOT OUT OF THE PLANE. HE REMOVED THE TOP COWLING TO INSPECT FOR ANY OBVIOUS ISSUES. HAVING NOT SEEN ANY ISSUES HE PUT THE COWLING BACK ON AND RESTARTED THE AIRPLANE TO SEE IF RUNNING THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. AFTER NOT NOTICING ANY DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE HE THEN SHUT THE PLANE OFF AND GOT OUT TO INSPECT A SECOND TIME. AT THAT POINT, HE NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES IN THE BOTTOM COWLING OF THE PLANE. HE GOT HIS AIRCRAFT FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND CALLED 911 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 AM. HE USED THE ENTIRE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO KNOCK DOWN THE FIRE AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SHOW UP. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE FIRE REIGNITED SO HE PROCEEDED TO LOOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE AREA. AT THIS POINT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. AFTER MAKING SURE THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF REIGINITION HE PUSHED THE PLANE INTO THE HANGAR AND SECURED IT.

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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