Narrative:

Taxi for takeoff required approximately 1 mi uphill nnw taxi, cross runway, taxi 1 mi slight down grade to runway 16. There was a plus or minus 20 KT wind from plus or minus 350 degrees. Taxi uphill against the wind required moderate use of brakes. The taxi downhill required extensive use of brakes. This aircraft is factory equipped with heavy duty landing gear, 800 -6 main tires, 600 -6 nose tire. Unfortunately, this yr uses the same wheel cylinder as the standard gear. Approximately 100 ft from runway 16 runup something felt strange. I asked my wife to look at the right main gear. She said 'it's ok.' then 'we're on fire!' I stopped immediately, the aluminum brake line (right) ruptured , and we rolled approximately 20 ft. I tried to call unicom multiple times. Everybody was trying to transmit at the same time so I grabbed my halon onboard extinguisher and tried to put out the fire. It was 'too little, too late.' it took the fire department at least 5 mins to get there and then their remote bumper-mounted nozzle wouldn't spray a solid stream. It seemed to cavitate (the pump), so the other fireman used a large halon extinguisher to cool it down but it kept re-igniting. While this was going on the left brake ignited. I grabbed the remains of their first extinguisher and was able to put out the fire on the left gear while they were still trying to put out the right gear fire. To eliminate this problem in the future, I am installing a kit, stc with heavy duty landing gear using a one time field approval (337). Just before I presented my airman's certificate to the bull head city police department, I discovered that my medical had expired and to make matters worse, when I returned home, I checked and found that my biennial flight review (BFR) had expired. For some reason I thought that my BFR, medical and airplane annual were all due in june. I plan on putting up a bulletin board with all important airplane-related requirements posted on it. This will never happen to me again!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DAMAGED WHEN BOTH BRAKES CATCH FIRE DURING EXTENSIVE TAXI OP.

Narrative: TAXI FOR TKOF REQUIRED APPROX 1 MI UPHILL NNW TAXI, CROSS RWY, TAXI 1 MI SLIGHT DOWN GRADE TO RWY 16. THERE WAS A PLUS OR MINUS 20 KT WIND FROM PLUS OR MINUS 350 DEGS. TAXI UPHILL AGAINST THE WIND REQUIRED MODERATE USE OF BRAKES. THE TAXI DOWNHILL REQUIRED EXTENSIVE USE OF BRAKES. THIS ACFT IS FACTORY EQUIPPED WITH HVY DUTY LNDG GEAR, 800 -6 MAIN TIRES, 600 -6 NOSE TIRE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YR USES THE SAME WHEEL CYLINDER AS THE STANDARD GEAR. APPROX 100 FT FROM RWY 16 RUNUP SOMETHING FELT STRANGE. I ASKED MY WIFE TO LOOK AT THE R MAIN GEAR. SHE SAID 'IT'S OK.' THEN 'WE'RE ON FIRE!' I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, THE ALUMINUM BRAKE LINE (R) RUPTURED , AND WE ROLLED APPROX 20 FT. I TRIED TO CALL UNICOM MULTIPLE TIMES. EVERYBODY WAS TRYING TO XMIT AT THE SAME TIME SO I GRABBED MY HALON ONBOARD EXTINGUISHER AND TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. IT WAS 'TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.' IT TOOK THE FIRE DEPT AT LEAST 5 MINS TO GET THERE AND THEN THEIR REMOTE BUMPER-MOUNTED NOZZLE WOULDN'T SPRAY A SOLID STREAM. IT SEEMED TO CAVITATE (THE PUMP), SO THE OTHER FIREMAN USED A LARGE HALON EXTINGUISHER TO COOL IT DOWN BUT IT KEPT RE-IGNITING. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON THE L BRAKE IGNITED. I GRABBED THE REMAINS OF THEIR FIRST EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE ON THE L GEAR WHILE THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO PUT OUT THE R GEAR FIRE. TO ELIMINATE THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE, I AM INSTALLING A KIT, STC WITH HVY DUTY LNDG GEAR USING A ONE TIME FIELD APPROVAL (337). JUST BEFORE I PRESENTED MY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE TO THE BULL HEAD CITY POLICE DEPT, I DISCOVERED THAT MY MEDICAL HAD EXPIRED AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I CHKED AND FOUND THAT MY BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW (BFR) HAD EXPIRED. FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT THAT MY BFR, MEDICAL AND AIRPLANE ANNUAL WERE ALL DUE IN JUNE. I PLAN ON PUTTING UP A BULLETIN BOARD WITH ALL IMPORTANT AIRPLANE-RELATED REQUIREMENTS POSTED ON IT. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN!

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.