SMA HAS FUEL LEAK IN ENG COMPARTMENT INFLT. ENG CATCHES FIRE WHEN ACFT IS ON GND.

Narrative

IN CRUISING FLT ENRTE FROM LOUISIANA TO SW FLORIDA; ACFT ENG WAS USING MORE FUEL THAN NORMAL; ALSO ENG WAS SHOWING ON THE RICH/LEAN GAUGE THAT IT WAS RUNNING EXCESSIVELY LEAN EVEN THOUGH THE MIXTURE CTL WAS IN FULL RICH POS. WHEN YOU STOP AND ANALYZE THIS IT MAKES NO SENSE. THE EXCESSIVELY LEAN MIXTURE INDICATING THAT THE ENG WAS OBTAINING INSUFFICIENT FUEL AND THE FUEL GAUGES DROPPING RAPIDLY INDICATING THAT EXCESSIVE FUEL WAS BURNING INFLT. THEN I RECEIVED A NOTE IN THE MAIL FROM THE HOSE COMPANY THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE HOSES WERE FAILING. AFTER ABOUT 3 YRS THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED; ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER. OUR ENG AND FUEL LINES HAD ONLY 164 HRS TOTAL TIME SINCE EVERYTHING WAS REPLACED; AND WE THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE OF THE LOW TIME ON THE FUEL LINES THAT THEY WERE OK. NOT TRUE. THEY DETERIORATE WITH AGE; NOT USE. ANYWAY; WE CHKED FUEL SCREENS AND MIXTURE CTL ETC; AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO FIRE UP THE ENG. IT STARTED BUT WOULD NOT RUN ON THE GND. RAN 3 OR 4 SECONDS AND DIED. SUDDENLY IT CAUGHT ON FIRE; AND WE PUT IT OUT RAPIDLY BY TURNING OFF THE FUEL AND HITTING IT WITH FIRE BOTTLES. BUT OF COURSE IT WAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE LINE HOSE; WHICH HAD BEEN LEAKING INFLT ALL OVER THE ENG. YET; WE NEVER SMELLED RAW GASOLINE INFLT. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL FUEL PRESSURE LINES ON FUEL INJECTED ENGS BE REPLACED PER BULLETINS TO THAT EFFECT; TO PREVENT FIRE INFLT. DO IT NOW. IT WAS FRIGHTENING! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS ENRTE FROM LOUISIANA TO FMY WHEN THE FUEL MIXTURE ANOMALY OCCURRED. HE STOPPED ENRTE FOR FUEL AND HAD NO PROB. IT WASN'T UNTIL ARR AT FMY THAT HE DECIDED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB FURTHER AND HAD HIS FABRIC COVERED SINGLE ENG ACFT CATCH FIRE. GND PERSONNEL RESPONDING WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE BULLETIN HE REFERS TO CAME FROM THE FUEL HOSE MANUFACTURER. HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE NOTE FROM THE FAA.