PIPER PA-28-161 near Spring, TX — 2021-05-06
- Date
- 2021-05-06
- Location
- Spring, TX, USA
- Airport
- DWH
- Aircraft
- PIPER PA-28-161
- Registration
- N54MC
- Category
- Airplane
- Highest injury
- None
- Fatalities
- 0
- Phase of flight
- Landing
Probable cause
An engine fire that resulted from a fuel leak into the carburetor air box due to the electric fuel pump over-pressurizing the carburetor needle/seat assembly. Contributing to the severity of the fire was the flight instructor’s failure to turn off the electric fuel pump before exiting the airplane.
NTSB narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot were landing the airplane during an instructional flight when they noticed a loss of engine power during landing rollout. After exiting the runway, the flight instructor was able to restart the engine on the second attempt. The pilots subsequently noticed that an engine fire had developed, shut down the engine, and exited the airplane. The fire substantially damaged the engine mount and firewall before it could be extinguished. The flight crew turned the electric fuel pump on before landing in accordance with normal operating procedure, and the flight instructor did not turn it off before exiting the airplane [as called for by the emergency procedure for an engine fire]. Postaccident examination revealed that with the electric fuel pump turned on, fuel leaked from the carburetor into the air box. The carburetor was disassembled with no anomalies observed. The fuel leaking from the carburetor was likely due to the electric fuel pump over-pressurizing the carburetor needle/seat assembly, which allowed the carburetor bowl to overfill. The leaking fuel likely came in contact with hot exhaust pipes and ignited, which resulted in the engine fire.
Analysis
- Primary failure mode
- Fuel management
- First missed decision gate
- Turning off the electric fuel pump after landing could have prevented the fire.
NTSB coding
Evidence available
- Photos
- 7 docket documents
Docket documents7
- PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT, NTSB FORM 6120.1form
- CARBURETOR EXAMother
- CORRESPONDENCE WITH FAA INSPECTORother
- CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE CARBURETOR REPAIR STATIONother
- PA-28-161 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, ENGINE FIRE DURING STARTother
- PA-28-161 NORMAL PROCEDURES, APPROACH AND LANDINGother
- PHOTO OF ENGINEphotos
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