Incident Overview
On January 3, 2021, at approximately 1118 eastern standard time, a Diamond Aircraft DA 40, registration N489RS, was substantially damaged when a fire erupted in the right main landing gear area after landing at an airport near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The airplane was conducting a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight with a flight instructor and a pilot receiving instruction; neither occupant was injured.
Sequence of Events
Following a short flight, the pilot performed a landing on runway 34. During the landing roll, the instructor assumed control of the airplane, taxied to the hold-short line at the approach end of runway 34, and waited for landing traffic. Shortly afterward, the pilot of a landing airplane announced over the tower radio frequency that the holding airplane was "on fire." The instructor observed smoke rising from beneath the right wing, and both occupants egressed the airplane without injury.
Video recorded by the pilots before the arrival of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles showed the right main landing gear tire, wheel pant, landing gear strut, and underside of the right wing in flames. ARFF personnel arrived within approximately 3 minutes of notification and extinguished the fire.
Taxi and Performance
The instructor reported that he noticed no anomalies with the performance and handling of the airplane during taxi. He stated that throughout the taxi back to the hold-short line, the steering forces required and the braking power experienced were "normal."
Data from the removable SD card of the Garmin G1000 Multifunction Display, which was undamaged and downloaded normally, revealed the following: After landing, the airplane turned right onto the first perpendicular taxiway (Bravo), then turned right onto the parallel taxiway (Alpha). While on taxiway Alpha, ground speed varied between about 22 and 27 knots; this indication was displayed to the flight crew. At the start of a right turn where Alpha taxiway turned 90° and intersected the approach end of runway 34, ground speed was about 23 knots. Ground speed then decreased sharply several times, each time followed by several seconds of constant or slightly increasing speed until the data ended as the airplane neared the hold-short line for runway 34.
Examination
The airplane was recovered to a maintenance facility and examined by a representative of the manufacturer under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector. Examination revealed normal wear of the brake pads and no pre-accident mechanical anomalies. The fuel tank directly above the right main landing gear wheel and brake assembly was intact with no leaks and contained approximately 15 gallons of fuel.