- Date
- March 24, 2021, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, VT · On taxiway
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N26DCPiper PA-32-260
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Fire/smoke (non-impact)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210324005739A
- Case key
- 103041
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
A fire that originated in the right main landing gear brake assembly for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after a series of full stop landings he was holding short of a runway when he smelled a burning odor, and air traffic control tower personnel observed a fire on the right main landing gear assembly. The pilot and passengers evacuated the airplane, and the fire was subsequently extinguished by airport fire rescue personnel. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the right wing. Disassembly and examination of the right brake and wheel revealed extensive fire damage to the assembly, which precluded the ability to determine the reason for the fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26DC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-64
- Built
- 1965
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 3, 2020
- Destination
- VSF · Springfield, VT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BTV · Burlington Intl
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 24, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- BTV
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 15.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.