Aztec pilot in IMC has cockpit fire due to faulty circuit breaker.

Attributes
ACN	318391
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bkw
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2504 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : crw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-23-250 Aztec
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 99 flight time total : 1766 flight time type : 640
ASRS Report	318391
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Spark and subsequent fire. The instrument panel fire ignited foam and leather pad on strut that holds dash (used to hold on to when copilot seat moved fore and aft). This burned like a tire, giving off black smoke that burned eyes. After emergency declared, power off, fire put out, used side window for breathing until smoke cleared. Able to acquire 2 communication radios for continued communication and landing at beckley uneventful. Recommend that aztec's foam pad as described be removed from all aircraft since it represents a hazard to breathing if a fire starts for any reason. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the leather pad is actually to keep one from bumping one's head getting out of the aircraft. He is giving talks at FAA safety seminars and suggests that any aztec owner would do well to remove the pad and take a chance with a bumped head. The spark occurred because of a bad circuit breaker. There is no way to test the circuit breaker and he predicts there will be more such incidents as the aztecs age. His was a 1974 model. The vacuum lines were damaged so those instruments were lost. He communicated to ATC and then turned all electrical off to eliminate feeding the fire. He was unaware that the fuel gauges have a fuel line directly to them. He would have been even more concerned had he known because the fire was so hot it could have burned right through the copper lines. Poor design. He will wrap those lines well with asbestos when the aircraft is repaired. The smoke was intense and burned the eyes badly. He opened the window to relieve the cabin as much as possible once the fire was out. His flashlight was of no use in the smoke, but his red light allowed him to see some of the instruments when he turned electrical back on. The flight was IMC at night and he feels the only way they survived was that he determined not to touch the controls. He did descend from 8000 ft to 5500 ft but determined to go no lower in the area because of terrain. He had hoped to break out. He was 40 mi from beckley airport and had set instruments for an approach. Crash fire rescue equipment did not come to him, he had to taxi to where they were.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AZTEC PLT IN IMC HAS COCKPIT FIRE DUE TO FAULTY CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Narrative: SPARK AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. THE INST PANEL FIRE IGNITED FOAM AND LEATHER PAD ON STRUT THAT HOLDS DASH (USED TO HOLD ON TO WHEN COPLT SEAT MOVED FORE AND AFT). THIS BURNED LIKE A TIRE, GIVING OFF BLACK SMOKE THAT BURNED EYES. AFTER EMER DECLARED, PWR OFF, FIRE PUT OUT, USED SIDE WINDOW FOR BREATHING UNTIL SMOKE CLRED. ABLE TO ACQUIRE 2 COM RADIOS FOR CONTINUED COM AND LNDG AT BECKLEY UNEVENTFUL. RECOMMEND THAT AZTEC'S FOAM PAD AS DESCRIBED BE REMOVED FROM ALL ACFT SINCE IT REPRESENTS A HAZARD TO BREATHING IF A FIRE STARTS FOR ANY REASON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE LEATHER PAD IS ACTUALLY TO KEEP ONE FROM BUMPING ONE'S HEAD GETTING OUT OF THE ACFT. HE IS GIVING TALKS AT FAA SAFETY SEMINARS AND SUGGESTS THAT ANY AZTEC OWNER WOULD DO WELL TO REMOVE THE PAD AND TAKE A CHANCE WITH A BUMPED HEAD. THE SPARK OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A BAD CIRCUIT BREAKER. THERE IS NO WAY TO TEST THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND HE PREDICTS THERE WILL BE MORE SUCH INCIDENTS AS THE AZTECS AGE. HIS WAS A 1974 MODEL. THE VACUUM LINES WERE DAMAGED SO THOSE INSTS WERE LOST. HE COMMUNICATED TO ATC AND THEN TURNED ALL ELECTRICAL OFF TO ELIMINATE FEEDING THE FIRE. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE FUEL GAUGES HAVE A FUEL LINE DIRECTLY TO THEM. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE CONCERNED HAD HE KNOWN BECAUSE THE FIRE WAS SO HOT IT COULD HAVE BURNED RIGHT THROUGH THE COPPER LINES. POOR DESIGN. HE WILL WRAP THOSE LINES WELL WITH ASBESTOS WHEN THE ACFT IS REPAIRED. THE SMOKE WAS INTENSE AND BURNED THE EYES BADLY. HE OPENED THE WINDOW TO RELIEVE THE CABIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ONCE THE FIRE WAS OUT. HIS FLASHLIGHT WAS OF NO USE IN THE SMOKE, BUT HIS RED LIGHT ALLOWED HIM TO SEE SOME OF THE INSTS WHEN HE TURNED ELECTRICAL BACK ON. THE FLT WAS IMC AT NIGHT AND HE FEELS THE ONLY WAY THEY SURVIVED WAS THAT HE DETERMINED NOT TO TOUCH THE CTLS. HE DID DSND FROM 8000 FT TO 5500 FT BUT DETERMINED TO GO NO LOWER IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF TERRAIN. HE HAD HOPED TO BREAK OUT. HE WAS 40 MI FROM BECKLEY ARPT AND HAD SET INSTS FOR AN APCH. CFR DID NOT COME TO HIM, HE HAD TO TAXI TO WHERE THEY WERE.

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.