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ASRS 1894694

ACN 1894694 · 2022-04 · PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior

PA28R Pilot reported engine compartment fire and gear up landing.

Bird or Animal Strike Reports Initial ClimbPart 91

Pilot narrative

Verbatim, de-identified by NASA. Placeholders: ZZZ, X, Y.

The flight was planned as a short preparation flight for a cross country the next day. Essentially a few practice approaches and back down again. Bird nesting season is in full bloom and I completed a thorough (or so I thought) preflight removing the new full-cowl cover and nose plugs for keeping birds out. I proceeded with normal start, taxi and run-up procedures and then entered my flight plan into the Garmin 430. Executed a normal takeoff. At about 50-100 ft. altitude the Cockpit began to fill with smoke. It was too late to abort the takeoff so I opted for an immediate landing asking the aircraft ahead of me to extend his downwind so that I could make a very shortened pattern. I lowered the gear handle and opened the pilot’s vent window which helped clear my watering eyes. My approach was high and I slipped to slow the aircraft and keep the smoke away from the left side. At about 50 ft. I stopped the slip and lowered full flaps. I began a normal flare and at this point the prop and flaps absorbed the landing. The aircraft came to a stop. I performed shutdown procedures and egress with my [dog] who was on his first demo flight. As I reached to turn off the master switch I noted that the gear safe lights were all out and the auto gear extension was in the proper position for an auto extension that did not happen. Better a gear up landing than a crash due to smoke inhalation.

NASA classification · Anomalies

  • Aircraft Equipment Problem
  • Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event
  • Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
  • Ground Event / Encounter
  • Inflight Event / Encounter

NASA classification · Assessments

Contributing Factors / Situations
Aircraft · Environment - Non Weather Related · Human Factors
Primary Problem
Human Factors

ASRS reports are voluntary, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective; they are not investigated and cannot be used to infer prevalence. Authoritative source: asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗