Accident Overview
On October 21, 2012, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, registration N6839R, was substantially damaged during a brake fire while taxiing at Palm Beach County Glades Airport (PHK), Pahokee, Florida. The private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot, after refueling the airplane at PHK on a multi-leg flight from Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, Indianapolis, Indiana (UMP) to Lantana Airport (LNA), Lantana, Florida, he began taxiing to the runway for departure. During the taxi, he felt that the brakes were "not working properly" and "dragging," so he elected to return to the ramp for inspection. After parking and while shutting down the engine, a lineman approached and advised the pilot of the fire. The pilot and passenger egressed without injury, and the fire was extinguished.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The four-seat, low-wing, tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 2002 and powered by a Continental Motors IO-550, 310-horsepower engine equipped with a Hartzell controllable-pitch propeller. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on October 2, 2012, during which the brake system was disassembled and inspected in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The pilot reported that the brake system fluid and pads were changed at that time. At the time of the accident, the airplane and engine had accumulated 603 total hours of time in service.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land and reported 1,030 total hours of flight experience, of which 600 were in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Examination Findings
Initial examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that both the left and right landing gear were fire damaged, and the underside of the fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. Further examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Weather Conditions
The 1553 recorded weather observation at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), about 35 miles east of the accident site, included wind from 010 degrees at 9 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 5,000 feet, temperature 28°C, dew point 16°C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury.