Piper PA 28-161 N9887K

Summary

On 19 September 2015 at about 14:15 local time, a Piper PA 28-161 registered N9887K was involved in an accident near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2015 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Pittsburgh Northeast (9G1)

Coordinates

40.6086, -79.8264

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-161

Registration

N9887K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pittsburg → Richmond

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA369

Nobody was injured.

An engine fire, which resulted from the overpriming of a hot engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he landed the airplane and parked it to address an in-flight anomaly with his headset. He then performed a preflight inspection. Before starting the engine, he pumped the primer twice and then attempted to start the engine. Subsequently, he observed smoke emanating from the engine area. He continued attempting to start the engine while moving the mixture lever to the fuel "cutoff" position. He then observed flames emanating from under the engine cowling, discontinued attempting to start the engine, and exited the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed extensive fire damage to the engine and airframe that appeared to have originated in or around the carburetor. The Pilot's Operating Handbook provided no guidance on using the primer when starting a hot engine but stated that "engine fires during start are usually the result of overpriming." It is likely that the hot engine was overprimed, which resulted in excess fuel in the carburetor and the subsequent engine fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.