NTSB ERA21LA211 — 2021-03-24 · Burlington, Vermont, United States

Current FAA registration · N26DC

Make / Model: PIPER PA-32-260
Year of manufacture: 1965 · 56 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19650730
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A27CF2

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N26DC Piper PA-32-260 None

Probable cause & findings

A fire that originated in the right main landing gear brake assembly for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that after a series of full stop landings he was holding short of a runway when he smelled a burning odor, and air traffic control tower personnel observed a fire on the right main landing gear assembly. The pilot and passengers evacuated the airplane, and the fire was subsequently extinguished by airport fire rescue personnel. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the right wing. Disassembly and examination of the right brake and wheel revealed extensive fire damage to the assembly, which precluded the ability to determine the reason for the fire. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Landing gear brakes system-Unknown/Not determined

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA211.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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