Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during the initial climb after takeoff, he noticed fire coming from the area around his feet. The flames quickly filled the cockpit. The pilot covered his face with his arms and pulled one of the controls—the throttle, mixture, or propeller control—but he was unsure which one he had manipulated.
Crash and Escape
The aircraft subsequently crashed into trees located beside the runway. After the crash, the pilot kicked out a window, crawled out of the wreckage, and rolled in the grass to extinguish flames that had ignited on his body.
Damage and Investigation
The aircraft was destroyed by fire. A post-crash inspection of the aircraft was conducted, but it failed to reveal the origin of the fire.
Pilot Actions
- Covered his face with his arms upon noticing fire.
- Pulled an unidentified control (throttle, mixture, or propeller).
- Exited through a kicked-out window after crash.
- Rolled in grass to put out flames on his body.
Findings
No determination of the fire's source could be made during the examination. The aircraft sustained total destruction due to fire.