What happened
On August 19, 2018, at approximately 17:45 local time, an Antonov AN-2 was being prepared for its sixth flight of the day at the Gera-Leumnitz airfield. The aircraft was being used to transport eight skydivers. During the attempt to start the engine on the apron, flames emerged from the exhaust collector.
The resulting fire ignited the fabric covering on the underside of the right wing. The pilot immediately instructed the eight passengers to evacuate the aircraft. After closing the fuel valve and turning off the ignition, the pilot exited the aircraft through the left-side door. The fire subsequently spread to the upper fabric of the right wing. Ground personnel responded quickly with handheld extinguishers, suppressing the fire after approximately 90 seconds.
The investigation
The BFU investigation examined the sequence of events and the aircraft's technical state. The investigation noted that the aircraft, a 1967 model, had undergone its last airworthiness review in July 2018. The investigation also reviewed the engine manual, which specifies that the Schwezow ASch-62 IR radial engine may produce flames during starting if unburned fuel accumulated in the exhaust collector ignites.
Findings
- The fire caused heavy damage to the aircraft, specifically destroying the fabric covering on both the upper and lower sections of the right wing and causing heat-related deformation to the right-side ailerons and flaps.
- The primary cause of the fire was the ignition of fuel within the exhaust collector during the engine start sequence.
- The investigation noted that the flight manual recommends having fire extinguishing equipment positioned near the exhaust area during starts. Additionally, the manual suggests that any ground assistance personnel should be positioned to monitor the exhaust outlet to take immediate action if flames appear.