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PA44 engine caught fire while flight crew attempted a restart during taxi out. Aircraft was evacuated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 739508 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200705 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 239 flight time type : 68 |
| ASRS Report | 739508 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 1760 flight time type : 195 |
| ASRS Report | 739510 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : evacuated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
We completed a full engine run up and all engine gauges were in the green and everything sounded normal. We began to taxi to the hold short line for runway 35L. During taxi the right propeller stopped and the instructor in the right seat immediately tried to restart the engine as he thought it might have quit because the mixture was too lean. When engaging the starter; he saw flames coming out of the lower cowling and engine inlets. We immediately proceeded to shut down all system and evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. After the engine fire was extinguished; the aircraft was towed back to the hangar where mechanics tried to determine the cause of the fire. It was discovered that the manifold had separated from the #1 cylinder and the nuts that should have held it together were missing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA44 ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE FLT CREW ATTEMPTED A RESTART DURING TAXI OUT. ACFT WAS EVACUATED.
Narrative: WE COMPLETED A FULL ENG RUN UP AND ALL ENG GAUGES WERE IN THE GREEN AND EVERYTHING SOUNDED NORMAL. WE BEGAN TO TAXI TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 35L. DURING TAXI THE R PROP STOPPED AND THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE R SEAT IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO RESTART THE ENG AS HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE QUIT BECAUSE THE MIXTURE WAS TOO LEAN. WHEN ENGAGING THE STARTER; HE SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE LOWER COWLING AND ENG INLETS. WE IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ALL SYS AND EVAC THE ACFT. AFTER THE ENG FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED; THE ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE HANGAR WHERE MECHS TRIED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MANIFOLD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE #1 CYLINDER AND THE NUTS THAT SHOULD HAVE HELD IT TOGETHER WERE MISSING.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.