What happened
The aircraft was operating at approximately 5,000 feet mean sea level when smoke and fumes were observed emanating from the vicinity of the right front seat rudder pedals. Shortly after these initial signs appeared, flames measuring approximately eighteen inches erupted from the same area. The pilot immediately took control of the situation by diverting to the closest available airport and performing an emergency landing.
The investigation
Following the incident, a thorough examination of the airplane was conducted to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Investigators discovered that the plastic tubing associated with the pitot-static system had ignited. Further analysis traced the source of ignition directly to the electrical wiring of the aircraft's strobe light system.
Findings
The primary factor leading to this incident was the failure of the electrical wiring within the strobe light system, which generated enough heat to ignite the nearby plastic pitot-static tubing. This chain of events resulted in a significant fire hazard during flight, necessitating an immediate emergency landing.