Small transport taxiing for takeoff has ground brake fire.

Attributes
ACN	230809
Time
Date	199301
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 246 flight time total : 1497 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	230809
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I reported for duty at bhm. I was assigned small transport for a flight to mobile downtown airport. The aircraft had just come out of a 50 hour event. There were no unanswered squawks on the aircraft discrepancy record. The aircraft passed my preflight inspection satisfactorily. The aircraft was loaded within limitations. Taxi clearance was received. Taxi from the ramp northbound on taxiway G was normal. After crossing runway 36 at midfield and turning southwest on taxiway a, the aircraft required more power than normal to taxi. There were 2 company small transport's behind me on the taxiway. The aircraft was pulling slightly to the left as if the left brake was dragging. The parking brake handle would not go in any further than it was so I requested to ground control to return to the ramp. I was cleared to taxi on runway 5. While on the runway, the ground controller advised that there were sparks coming from my aircraft. I could see the left main wheel and concurred what he reported. I told him I had a hot brake. I turned and cleared the runway. As I stopped the aircraft, I could see the left wheel was on fire. I shut down the aircraft, got out and used the onboard fire extinguisher on the left wheel. I could see that the right wheel was also on fire and I emptied the fire extinguisher on the right wheel. The airport fire fighters arrived and put out the flames as they recurred on each wheel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT TAXIING FOR TKOF HAS GND BRAKE FIRE.

Narrative: I RPTED FOR DUTY AT BHM. I WAS ASSIGNED SMT FOR A FLT TO MOBILE DOWNTOWN ARPT. THE ACFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF A 50 HR EVENT. THERE WERE NO UNANSWERED SQUAWKS ON THE ACFT DISCREPANCY RECORD. THE ACFT PASSED MY PREFLT INSPECTION SATISFACTORILY. THE ACFT WAS LOADED WITHIN LIMITATIONS. TAXI CLRNC WAS RECEIVED. TAXI FROM THE RAMP NBOUND ON TXWY G WAS NORMAL. AFTER XING RWY 36 AT MIDFIELD AND TURNING SW ON TXWY A, THE ACFT REQUIRED MORE PWR THAN NORMAL TO TAXI. THERE WERE 2 COMPANY SMT'S BEHIND ME ON THE TXWY. THE ACFT WAS PULLING SLIGHTLY TO THE L AS IF THE L BRAKE WAS DRAGGING. THE PARKING BRAKE HANDLE WOULD NOT GO IN ANY FURTHER THAN IT WAS SO I REQUESTED TO GND CTL TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI ON RWY 5. WHILE ON THE RWY, THE GND CTLR ADVISED THAT THERE WERE SPARKS COMING FROM MY ACFT. I COULD SEE THE L MAIN WHEEL AND CONCURRED WHAT HE RPTED. I TOLD HIM I HAD A HOT BRAKE. I TURNED AND CLRED THE RWY. AS I STOPPED THE ACFT, I COULD SEE THE L WHEEL WAS ON FIRE. I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT, GOT OUT AND USED THE ONBOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON THE L WHEEL. I COULD SEE THAT THE R WHEEL WAS ALSO ON FIRE AND I EMPTIED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON THE R WHEEL. THE ARPT FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FLAMES AS THEY RECURRED ON EACH WHEEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.