Piper PA-32R incident near Destin, Florida, December 24, 2007
On December 24, 2007 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R, registered N8158B, suffered minor damage in an incident near Destin, Florida. 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
An in-flight fire due to a fractured fuel injector line as a result of an unauthorized repair to the line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2007 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R · all PA-32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8158B · registry record · serial 32R-8229038
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing through 10,000 feet, the pilots noticed an abnormal engine sound and seconds later smelled smoke; they then saw smoke emanating from the windshield defroster ducts. The pilots initiated an emergency descent. When power was reduced and the nose pitched down to start the descent, the smoke disappeared, but the engine began running rough. The pilots executed an emergency landing to a non-towered airport, taxied to parking, and shut down the engine. Upon exiting the airplane, the pilots noted external fire damage to the engine cowling, but no active fire. Postincident examination revealed that the fuel injector line to the Number 5 cylinder had fractured, and that the leaking fuel had ignited. Examination of the fuel line revealed that it had been repaired, despite such repairs being prohibited by a manufacturer's service bulletin. The investigation was unable to determine when the repair was performed, or who performed it.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,219 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,091 as pilot in command; 737 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 26, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 367 hours in all; 198 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 310 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 23, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,441 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 2007; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: B & G Fleeting Services
The flight
- Departed from: PNS Pensacola FL at 12:25 pm
- Destination: 42J Keystone FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.