Accident Overview
On August 23, 2016, at approximately 1106 central daylight time, a North American T-28B, registration N215SF, was destroyed when it caught fire during approach and impacted terrain near runway 18 at Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The aircraft, registered to Aviation Specialty LLC, was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; the local flight had departed ANE at 1030.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that while en route, a generator failure annunciation prompted him to return to ANE. During an overhead approach, he experienced severe smoke and opened the canopy. On the downwind leg, he encountered a heavy spray of fuel. During the base leg, the fuel ignited, engulfing him in flames. On final, approximately 150-200 feet above ground level, he determined he could not reach the runway due to the intense fire and pushed the nose down 20-25 degrees; the airplane impacted short of the runway.
Witness Account
A witness marshalling aircraft at a fixed-base operator observed the T-28 on approach. He noted the airplane entered a "hard left turn," which he described as standard. The airplane appeared normal while flying downwind but seemed to "cut a little soon." It performed S-turns toward the runway, executed a slip, and then appeared to stall. The airplane impacted right wing first and cartwheeled. The landing gear was extended when it turned onto base leg, and the engine sounded normal.
Post-Accident Examination
Post-accident examination revealed the engine separated from the airframe, and the propeller separated from the engine. Propeller blades exhibited features consistent with engine power. Fire consumed most of the cockpit and underlying systems between the firewall and aft cockpit. Due to fire damage, the ignition and flammable sources could not be determined.
The pilot submitted a piece of fabric from his flight suit, sprayed with fluid during the fire, to the NTSB Material Laboratory. Analysis using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy identified the residue as consistent with a phosphate ester, commonly found in hydraulic fluid, though no exact match to a known hydraulic fluid was found.
Emergency Procedures
The T-28 flight manual addresses generator failure and smoke/fire emergencies. For generator failure, nonessential electrical equipment should be turned off, and battery power conserved. For elimination of smoke or fuel fumes, the checklist includes reducing airspeed, opening cockpit air, and turning off nonessential electrical equipment. Specific checklists for fuselage fire and electrical fire are provided.
The pilot later submitted a narrative to aviation publications, describing his experience and personal takeaways. He noted he did not follow the generator failure checklist by switching to battery-only power for radio and landing gear, and he passed three suitable airports before attempting to land at his home base.