Accident Overview
On September 28, 2010, at 1038 central daylight time, a Cessna 172RG (registration N5145U) operated by Spartan Aviation Industries, Inc., was destroyed after a fire erupted in the engine compartment during the return to Richard Lloyd Jones, Jr., Airport (RVS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The instructional flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan, had departed RVS at approximately 0930. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The instructor pilot executed a forced landing, impacting terrain about two miles west of the airport. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries, while the certified flight instructor (CFI) candidate received minor injuries.
Fire and Emergency Response
According to the flight instructor's report, the landing gear had been lowered only once during the flight for slow flight practice. Upon returning to RVS, the gear was lowered again in preparation for landing. Within seconds, flames emerged from under the instrument panel and spread up the front of the panel, and the cabin carpet ignited. An emergency was declared, but the radio subsequently failed. The mixture control was pulled to idle cutoff, but the fuel selector could not be turned off due to flames. The cabin filled with smoke, instruments became unreadable, and breathing became difficult.
The instructor opened his left door, causing the airplane to yaw left; he applied right rudder to compensate, but the rudder pedals were engulfed in flames. The instructor's right foot caught fire, and his shoe melted to his foot. The CFI candidate removed the shoe, but the instructor's calf also ignited. During the forced landing, the instructor avoided power lines but could not clear a fence; the airplane struck the fence and came to a sudden stop. Both occupants evacuated the aircraft. The CFI candidate's account corroborated these details.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector who examined the wreckage found evidence that the terminal lug on the hydraulic pump had been improperly installed and had shorted. The exposed lug lacked proper coverage. The inspector inspected six other Cessna 172RG aircraft at the airport: two had exposed terminal lugs, three were fitted with a rubber boot (part number MS25171-2S), and only one had the correct cover (part number S1807-1). The inspector noted that installation procedures for the hydraulic power package did not specifically mention the cover; the correct installation was only depicted in the Cessna 172RG Illustrated Parts Catalog.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was explicitly stated in the investigation source.