Incident Overview
On June 21, 2008, about 1230 central daylight time, an amateur-built Morrison E-Racer, N345JM, was destroyed by an in-flight fire followed by a post-landing ground fire at Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR), Aurora, Illinois. The personal cross-country flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was not injured. The flight had departed ARR shortly before the accident, with an intended destination of Frasca Field Airport (C16), Urbana, Illinois.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, the takeoff from runway 27 (6,501 feet by 100 feet, concrete) was normal. During the initial climb, at about 2,000 feet mean sea level and 1 mile from the airport, the engine speed began decreasing. The pilot activated the secondary fuel pump and notified the air traffic control tower of an engine problem, stating he was returning to the airport. The engine speed increased by approximately 200 revolutions per minute (rpm), to about 1,950 rpm, before losing power completely. Soon after, the cockpit filled with smoke.
Pilot's Actions
The pilot elected to secure the engine by turning off the fuel pumps and fuel valve. He informed the air traffic controller about the smoke and was immediately cleared to land. Seconds later, he observed a fire in the cockpit near the firewall. Smoke made visibility and breathing difficult. The pilot continued an approach to the departure runway, intermittently losing visual contact with the runway due to the smoke.
Landing and Fire
On short final, the pilot realized the airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. He applied full left aileron and rudder inputs to correct, but the aileron control failed at that moment. The airplane landed hard and flat on all three wheels, collapsing the left main landing gear. It spun around and came to rest about 1,500 feet from the runway threshold. The pilot successfully evacuated the airplane, which was subsequently consumed by the fire.
Post-Accident Examination
The post-accident examination could not locate the exact source of the fire. The pilot commented that the extent and rapid progression of the fire were consistent with a failure in the high-pressure fuel system.