Piper PA28 151 accident near St. Augustine, Florida, February 22, 2016
On February 22, 2016 at about 1:15 am local time, a 1974 Piper PA28 151, registered N41618, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near St. Augustine, Florida (Northeast Florida Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's overpriming of the engine during start, which resulted in a carburetor fire. Contributing to the severity of accident was the flight instructor's failure to follow the Pilot Operating Handbook's engine fire during start emergency procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2016 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · Northeast Florida Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 151 151, built 1974 · all PA28 151s on the register
- Registration
- N41618 · registry record · serial 28-7415295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, the airplane's engine stopped producing power during taxi immediately after landing. He attempted to restart the engine, but it caught fire. He stopped the airplane, and both the instructor and the student egressed, but they made no attempt to extinguish the fire because there was no fire extinguisher on board the airplane. Although the fire was eventually extinguished by first responders, it substantially damaged the airplane. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) revealed that engine fires during start were usually due to overpriming and that the first attempt to extinguish the fire should be to try to start the engine and draw the excess fuel back into the induction system. It is likely the flight instructor overprimed the engine, which resulted in an engine fire, and then failed to follow the POH procedure to extinguish the fire. Due to the instructor's failure to attempt to remediate the problem, the fire was not extinguished in a timely manner.
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
What happened, in order
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Related operating info
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 895 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine sea
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 77 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,816 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 27, 2015; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,326 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SGJ St. Augustine FL at 11:30 pm
- Destination: SGJ St. Augustine FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 18, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Emergency Procedure | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.