Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tri-County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Erie, Colorado 80021
Wednesday, November 11, 1998 12:40 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he could not start the engine, and he requested assistance. A battery cart was brought out, and the engine was jump started. While airborne, the pilot smelled something like ether, and decided to land the airplane. He said that the smell got stronger and the engine began to run rough. While taxing off the runway, he smelled raw fuel and saw smoke. After he evacuated the airplane, he saw flames coming from the pilot's side of the engine (aft of the firewall) and the wing root area. A piper representative stated that 'a dead or depleted aircraft battery should not be charged in the aircraft.' This information was not available in the POH. The Service Bulletin #836A had not been performed, and the original aluminum battery cable had not been replaced by a copper battery cable. Representatives from Piper and Gill (the battery manufacturer) said that the aluminum battery cable's resistance increases with age, flight time, and flight cycles. The airplane had accumulated an estimated 18,000 hours of flight time. The fuel lines and the battery cable are 4 to 6 inches apart in the vicinity of the fuel selector. This is the same area where the pilot first observed the fire.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The shorting of the aluminum battery wire and the subsequent failure of the fuel line. Factors were the weak/deteriorated battery, the insufficient information in the airplane's POH about charging an airplane's battery, and the fire in the crew compartment.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/11/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | ERIE |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80021 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | TRI-COUNTY AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 48V |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5130 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1348 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BJC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5670 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1636 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 11 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1240 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8236Z |
| NTSB Number | DEN99LA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8016362 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 9 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 18000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TRAMCO AVIATION, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11855 AIRPORT WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | BROOMFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80021 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN H. MALKIN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2745 OVERLOOK DR. |
| Operator City | BROOMFIELD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80020 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FNL |
| Departure City | LOVELAND |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BJC |
| Destination City | BROOMFIELD |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 33 |
| Runway Length | 4700 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |