- Date
- April 10, 1986, 14:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Perry, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8178NPiper PA-32R-301T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860410033859A
- Case key
- 34156
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Shortly after takeoff the PIC noticed a loss of engine pwr and flames erupting from the engine cowling. The PIC executed a turn back to the arpt as thick black smoke filled the cockpit. The PIC opened the side vent window to maintain sight of the ground and landed the acft in an open field. The PIC exited the acft and used and hand held extinguisher to combat the flames belching fm the engine cowling. The ensuing fire substantially damaged the acft. Inspection of the fire area revealed an exhaust v-clamp loose and a distorted gasket at the exhaust joints. This allowed blow-by of the hot exhaust gases which melted the fuel boost pump connection spewing raw fuel into the hot engine compartment. The exhaust system had been removed to rework a cylinder and re-installed 6 hours prior to this flt. The gasket was distorted during the re-assembly of the exhaust system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8178N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301T (PA-32R-301)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8029072
- Airframe hours
- 2,407
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawkeye Eagle Trailers
- Registered owner
- Jerry Woodke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1986 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- PRO · Perry, IA
- Destination
- SLB · Schaller, IA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,546 total · 1,505 in this make and model · 3,360 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 3 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DSM, 20 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.