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20260330002839I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-20 · Waterford, MI · March 30, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 30, 2026 · 18:18 local
Place
Waterford, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6996K
Reported as
Piper PA-20
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
25,000 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Incident at pontiac, MI (ptk) on 03/30/2026 @ 2218Z. privacy data omitted PA20 s/n 20-92 declared emergency due to smoke in the cockpit. Acft was in the pattern heading east. Pilot made an immediate right turn and landed midfield at rwy 27R before veering off surface to the right. Pilot evacuated acft. Emergency vehicles arrived and extinguished fire. Post-landing inspection revealed evidence of electrical fire in lower area of cockpit. Pilot was taken for medical treatment and treated for burns to the left foot and leg. The acft was quarantined at a ptk county hangar overnight. NTSB notified of pilot and aircraft status. Iic and ASI inspected aircraft on 03/31/2026 @ 0830. Inspection found improper installation of alternator wiring. Pilot/privacy data omitted interview on 04/01/2026 revealed first test flight after annual and installation of upgraded 0-320 engine. Pilot was executing third touch and go after approximately 30 minutes of flight and noticed alternator light flashed and flames started at pilots left side panel. Declared emergency and received clearance to land. Pilot shut battery master off and executed immediate right turn landing on 27R midfield. After exiting aircraft pilot returned and shut engine down. Left foot bandaged due to burns. NTSB declared incident a non-accident after review of photos and investigation results.

As the FAA filed it

INCIDENT AT PONTIAC, MI (PTK) ON 03/30/2026 @ 2218Z. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PA20 S/N 20-92 DECLARED EMERGENCY DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. ACFT WAS IN THE PATTERN HEADING EAST. PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN AND LANDED MIDFIELD AT RWY 27R BEFORE VEERING OFF SURFACE TO THE RIGHT. PILOT EVACUATED ACFT. EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE. POST-LANDING INSPECTION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF ELECTRICAL FIRE IN LOWER AREA OF COCKPIT. PILOT WAS TAKEN FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AND TREATED FOR BURNS TO THE LEFT FOOT AND LEG. THE ACFT WAS QUARANTINED AT A PTK COUNTY HANGAR OVERNIGHT. NTSB NOTIFIED OF PILOT AND AIRCRAFT STATUS. IIC AND ASI INSPECTED AIRCRAFT ON 03/31/2026 @ 0830. INSPECTION FOUND IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF ALTERNATOR WIRING. PILOT/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INTERVIEW ON 04/01/2026 REVEALED FIRST TEST FLIGHT AFTER ANNUAL AND INSTALLATION OF UPGRADED 0-320 ENGINE. PILOT WAS EXECUTING THIRD TOUCH AND GO AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT AND NOTICED ALTERNATOR LIGHT FLASHED AND FLAMES STARTED AT PILOTS LEFT SIDE PANEL. DECLARED EMERGENCY AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND. PILOT SHUT BATTERY MASTER OFF AND EXECUTED IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN LANDING ON 27R MIDFIELD. AFTER EXITING AIRCRAFT PILOT RETURNED AND SHUT ENGINE DOWN. LEFT FOOT BANDAGED DUE TO BURNS. NTSB DECLARED INCIDENT A NON-ACCIDENT AFTER REVIEW OF PHOTOS AND INVESTIGATION RESULTS.