Incident Overview
During the initial climb after the pilot raised the landing gear, the cockpit began to fill with smoke. The pilot subsequently returned to the airport and executed an emergency landing. After evacuating the aircraft, the pilot observed that the right engine nacelle, aft of the firewall, was on fire.
Firefighting Efforts
Initial attempts by ground personnel to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful. Several minutes later, a local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, but not before the aircraft had sustained extensive fire damage to the right wing.
Post-Incident Inspection
The aircraft was subsequently examined by an FAA airworthiness inspector. The exact origin of the fire was not determined.
Conclusion
The investigation did not identify the precise cause of the smoke and subsequent fire.