- Date
- October 26, 1990, 15:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Summerville, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6142DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901026048919A
- Case key
- 8352
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An eroded exhaust stack which allowed hot gases to impinge upon the firewall, and ignite cabin insulation.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the initial climb after take off smoke entered the cabin under the control panel. Before the airplane could be returned to the runway, flames were visible at the passengers feet. After landing on the opposite runway it was discovered that exhaust gases had impinged on the firewall. The heat had ignited cabin insulation. An FAA inspector found that the exhaust stack inside the carburetor muff had separated. Exhaust gas had been directed against the firewall. The a/c ws last inspected 11 months prior to the accident. The exhaust system had never been replaced.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6142D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4786
- Airframe hours
- 1,944
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ziebell, Grant G.
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 1989 · 67 hours before
- Airport
- Jetburg Private, runway 3, 2,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 4 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHS, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.