Piper PA-28-161 accident near Erie, Colorado, November 11, 1998
On November 11, 1998 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8236Z, was destroyed in an accident near Erie, Colorado (Tri-County 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
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 1998 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Tri-County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8236Z · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016362
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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 The Service Bulletin #836A had not been performed, and the original aluminum battery cable had not been replaced by a copper battery cable.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.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 9, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Loveland CO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: BJC Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from BJC, 7 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.