Greenhaw William LANCAIR 360 N117BG

Summary

On 23 January 2007 at about 19:45 local time, a Greenhaw William LANCAIR 360 registered N117BG was involved in an accident near Guntersville, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 January 2007 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Guntersville, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Guntersville Municipal Airport (8A1)

Coordinates

34.3931, -86.2689

Aircraft

Greenhaw William LANCAIR 360

Registration

N117BG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Guntersville → Guntersville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL07LA034

Nobody was injured.

Failure of an unapproved automotive fuel line installed by the owner/pilot mechanic which resulted in an engine fire during taxi after landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, while taxiing following a normal landing he smelled fiberglass and then observed smoke and fire coming from the engine cowling. He immediately stopped the airplane, and egressed. He said the airplane continued to burn. Examination of the airplane by an FAA Inspector found the airplane partially consumed by fire. Examination of the engine revealed that the fuel line from the fuel servo to the flow divider had melted from the connection at the fuel servo to the cylinder baffling. The hose was still connected to the flow divider and retained torque on the fitting. The hose was removed and examination provided that the approximately half of its original length had been burnt away or melted. Examination revealed that the hose was of non-aviation automotive origin and identified as SAE. The construction of the hose was of plastic with a vinyl outer coating. Examination of the fuel line fitting still attached to the fuel servo revealed threads in the socket were clean with no residual hose material present in the threads. There was a light amount of melted plastic on the outer end of the socket. The hose had not been properly assembled, thus allowing fuel to escape into the engine compartment.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.