Narrative:

On may 1988, I flew my small aircraft into midway to pick up friends flying in commercially. The plane was parked in front of the FBO and I went to the main terminal. About 20 min after I left, the FBO saw smoke coming from the vicinity of the right wheel. A fire developed and was extinguished by the FBO. There was some damage to the underside of the wing. The wing was replaced because of concern over loss of temper. I contacted FAA to ask they examine the plane to determine the cause of the fire. The wing was carefully examined by the FBO during removal and replacement. I asked them to pull the left wing at my expense to see if that would help pin down the cause. FAA didn't come. They were contacted several additional times before they finally showed up almost two weeks later. All they did was pull the logs and cite me for lack of compliance with an airworthiness directive my mechanic failed to carry out at the last annual, and of which I was unaware. The irony is that it all came about because of my concern for safety of myself and others and my insistance the FAA become involved. Since then I've been extremely sensitive to what myself and others feel is a hostile environment resulting from FAA policy. Enforcement rather than safety seems to have the highest priority. Since then, I review every flight after landing, and if there is any possibility of a violation, however remote, I've been flying. In 25 yrs of flying I've never before had this concern. In the past, the FAA had been perceived by me to be an organization that would treat you fairly and whose prime concern was improving safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEEL FIRE ON SMA LEADS TO WRIST SLAP FROM FAA FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE ERROR.

Narrative: ON MAY 1988, I FLEW MY SMA INTO MIDWAY TO PICK UP FRIENDS FLYING IN COMMERCIALLY. THE PLANE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE FBO AND I WENT TO THE MAIN TERMINAL. ABOUT 20 MIN AFTER I LEFT, THE FBO SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF THE R WHEEL. A FIRE DEVELOPED AND WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FBO. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING. THE WING WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF CONCERN OVER LOSS OF TEMPER. I CONTACTED FAA TO ASK THEY EXAMINE THE PLANE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE WING WAS CAREFULLY EXAMINED BY THE FBO DURING REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT. I ASKED THEM TO PULL THE L WING AT MY EXPENSE TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP PIN DOWN THE CAUSE. FAA DIDN'T COME. THEY WERE CONTACTED SEVERAL ADDITIONAL TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY SHOWED UP ALMOST TWO WKS LATER. ALL THEY DID WAS PULL THE LOGS AND CITE ME FOR LACK OF COMPLIANCE WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE MY MECH FAILED TO CARRY OUT AT THE LAST ANNUAL, AND OF WHICH I WAS UNAWARE. THE IRONY IS THAT IT ALL CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY OF MYSELF AND OTHERS AND MY INSISTANCE THE FAA BECOME INVOLVED. SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO WHAT MYSELF AND OTHERS FEEL IS A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT RESULTING FROM FAA POLICY. ENFORCEMENT RATHER THAN SAFETY SEEMS TO HAVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. SINCE THEN, I REVIEW EVERY FLT AFTER LNDG, AND IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBILITY OF A VIOLATION, HOWEVER REMOTE, I'VE BEEN FLYING. IN 25 YRS OF FLYING I'VE NEVER BEFORE HAD THIS CONCERN. IN THE PAST, THE FAA HAD BEEN PERCEIVED BY ME TO BE AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD TREAT YOU FAIRLY AND WHOSE PRIME CONCERN WAS IMPROVING SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.