- Date
- February 1, 1992, 11:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Destin, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N7909WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920201001609I
- Case key
- 33004
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper procedures/directives by the pilot-in-command while attempting to restart the engine, resulting in the engine compartment fire.
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
The plt started the eng & left the aux fuel boost pump on. While taxiing to take off, the eng quit. The plt attempted to start the eng but observed flames from the front of the eng cowling. The plt & pax exited the acft but the plt left the master & auxiliary fuel boost pump switches on, which continued to feed fuel to the fire. The fire was extinguished after the master switch was turned off & chemical applied to the fire. According to an individual who examined the acft, in his opinion, the plt flooded the eng while attempting to restart it, & due to the excess fuel, the eng backfired & the excess fuel caught fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7909W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1942
- Airframe hours
- 2,914
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Barbree, B.J. & Michelle
- Registered owner
- Barbree, B.J. & Michelle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1992 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- 81J · Destin-Fort Walton Beach
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 793 total · 90 in this make and model · 694 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.