Incident Overview
On March 16, 2009, at approximately 2130 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N613FT, was substantially damaged following an engine fire on the runway at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Sanford, Florida. The airplane was registered to FIT Aviation LLC and operated by the Florida Institute of Technology. The commercial-rated flight instructor and one student pilot were not injured. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The flight originated at Melbourne, Florida (MLB) about 2015.
Flight and Fire Sequence
The student pilot requested a stop-and-go landing and was cleared for the option on runway 27R. During the landing, the student used maximum wheel and aerodynamic braking to stop the airplane. After stopping on the runway, the engine quit. The pilots contacted the tower to inform them of the situation. The instructor attempted four restarts, allowing about 20 seconds between attempts. Following the last attempt, thick smoke was observed coming from the engine cowling. Flames then appeared, prompting the instructor to cut the fuel mixture to idle, take the fire extinguisher, and both pilots exited the airplane. The instructor attempted to put out the fire, but the halon extinguisher was inoperative. The pilots reported a steady stream of fuel pouring from under the engine cowling.
Examination and Findings
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane and reported extensive fire damage near the underside of the engine in the area of the induction system and carburetor. The firewall showed heat deformation. Further examination revealed that the induction system air box appeared to be "blown apart from the inside out." The inspector stated that the fire "appeared to have started near the air box on the bottom left of the engine and ignited the fuel that had overflowed into the air box."
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The certificated flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land ratings. The student pilot held a student pilot certificate and was enrolled in the private pilot certificate program at the Florida Institute of Technology. The airplane had received an annual inspection on December 18, 2008. Total airframe time was 14,512 hours, and total engine time was 6,168 hours. The operator's maintenance personnel reported no recent problems with the airframe or engine.
Weather Conditions
The 2245 EDT weather observation for SFB included surface winds from 310 degrees at 6 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 72°F, dew point 59°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of mercury.
Manufacturer Emergency Procedures
The PA-28-161 Pilot's Information Manual addresses procedures for engine fire during start. Section 3, Emergency Procedures, section 3.7, states, "Engine fires during start are usually the result of overpriming. The first effort to extinguish the fire is to attempt an engine start in order to draw the excess fuel back into the induction system. If a fire is present before the engine has started, try to draw the fire back into the engine by moving the mixture control to idle cut-off, opening the throttle, turning OFF the electric fuel pump and fuel selector, while cranking the engine."