Incident Overview
During the third traffic pattern of a series of landings, the pilot detected a burning odor and observed flames emanating from the engine cowling. The pilot shortened the traffic pattern and turned toward the runway for an emergency landing. The airplane touched down long and rolled off the departure end of the runway.
Fire Damage
Examination of the airplane revealed that the fire destroyed the right side of the airframe. Several components of the engine assembly, including the carburetor, were also consumed by the fire.
Maintenance History
A review of the aircraft maintenance logs indicated that the carburetor heat box had been replaced 38 hours before the accident.
Investigation
Extensive fire damage prevented the discovery of or the exclusion of a component failure or malfunction.