# Incident 20240826013999I: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-28-181, San Tan Valley, AZ, August 26, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 26, 2024, 16:00 local time
- Place: San Tan Valley, AZ
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: B4VS
- Location: 33.1911° N, 111.5280° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of San Tan Valley, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1911&lon=-111.5280&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4403W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4403W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102832, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (registry code 42276, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a4m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360-A4M
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,660 total, 1,340 in this make and model, 133 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240826013999I

## Narrative

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

NO NTSB ID LISTED BECAUSE NTSB IS NOT INVESTIGATING.

AIRCRAFT WAS ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WHEN THE CREW SMELLED SMOKE AND THEN SAW SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.  THEY MADE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURIES.

THE OPERATOR’S STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT: “THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE IN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENOUGH TO CREATE A HAZE IN THE FLIGHT DECK. IF WE HAD NOT OPENED THE WINDOW AND OPENED AIR VENTS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO BEGIN TO IMPEDE VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN.   PRIOR TO THE SMOKE ENTERING THE CABIN WE HAD A BURNING SMELL.”

AFTER LANDING THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISMANTLED AND MOVED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FACILITY.

WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FACILITY THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL DISMANTLED FOR TRANSPORT AND THE INTERIOR HAD BEEN REMOVED BUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN APART.  WE WATCHED AS THEIR CHIEF INSPECTOR REMOVED THE PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY (PFD) AND THE COOLING FAN MOUNTED BEHIND THE PFD.  THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE WIRING TO THE COOLING FAN AND POWER WAS STILL PRESENT.  THE FAN SMELLED BURNT AND HAD SOME DUST

AND SOOT ON THE BLOWER WHEEL WHICH WAS FREE TO TURN.  THEY DEMONSTRATED THAT THE BLOWER WOULD NOT RUN WHEN POWERED.

OPERATOR FILED AN SDR, NUMBER 2024FA0000673, AND SENT THE BLOWER ASSEMBLY TO THE MANUFACTURER OF BLOWER MODEL SAFE328, P/N: 305467-00 FOR TEARDOWN AND THEIR SERVICE WORK ORDER STATES “FOUND BLOWER INTERNAL CIRCUIT CARD BURNED, SCORTCH MARKS AND SOOT.”

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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