Incident Overview
The airplane was destroyed by fire after executing an emergency landing prompted by an in-flight fire. According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff and while performing a left-hand traffic pattern departure, smoke was observed emanating from the left side of the instrument panel. The pilot then carried out an emergency landing, during which the airplane rolled to a stop on the grass adjacent to the runway.
Post-Landing Fire
After the pilot had exited the airplane, the aircraft was consumed by the fire. The flames continued until the airplane was destroyed.
Examination Findings
A postaccident examination of the airplane was conducted. However, the examination failed to reveal evidence of the original source of the fire. No further information regarding the origin of the fire was determined.