Piper PA-28-151 accident near Foley, Alabama, January 3, 1995
On January 3, 1995 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N6829F, was destroyed in an accident near Foley, Alabama (Foley Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN ENGINE FIRE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1995 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Foley, Alabama · Foley Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N6829F · no longer on the register · serial 28-7715181
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ON THE THIRD TRAFFIC PATTERN OF A SERIES OF LANDINGS, HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND HE SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. THE PILOT SHORTENED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND TURNED TOWARD THE RUNWAY FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN LONG, AND ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE FIRE ALSO DESTROYED SEVERAL COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING THE CARBURETOR. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGS INDICATED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT BOX HAD BEEN REPLACED 38 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE PREVENTED THE DISCOVERY OF OR THE EXCLUSION OF A COMPONENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 29 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,582 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 30, 1994; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5R4 at 2:45 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from MOB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.