(from Aviation Accidents / This Day in History)
Here's the audio I found of it
- NTSB issue the preliminary report into a ground fire event involving a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C, N9770J, that occurred on February 5, 2023, at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU/KEAU), Eau Claire, Wisconsin:
On February 5, 2023, at 1255 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N9770J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The commercial pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that he last flew the airplane on December 4, 2022, during which the airplane started and flew with no anomalies. On December 25, 2022, he was unable to start the airplane for a flight, which he attributed to the outside air temperature of -7o. On the day of the accident, he attempted to start the engine several times, but the battery charge drained. The pilot then charged the battery for about 20 minutes and attempted to start the engine again, but it still would not start. The pilot said that it was as if the engine would start with the engine primer but would not run. The pilot decided to terminate the planned flgiht so that an aircraft mechanic could inspect the airplane. The pilot turned the airplane master switch off and then one of the passengers saw smoke coming from the engine cowl. The passenger and the pilot exited the airplane, and the passenger saw a small flame inside the engine cowl. The pilot told the remaining passenger to move the mixture control to idle cutoff. The flames continued to increase and spread, and the airplane was destroyed by the fire.
The airplane was retained for further examination.
