19971015033929I

NARRATIVE: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED IN THE PUBLIC USE FUNCTION. WHEN THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT, THE MESA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WAS INFORMED THAT IF THE FAA WERE TO CONDUCT A FORMAL INCIDENT INVESTIGATION, A WRITTEN REQUEST MUST BE SENT TO THE OFFICE. THE REQUEST WAS RECEIVED IN THE SALT LAKE CITY OFFICE ON 10/23/97. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM GRAND JUNCTION, CO. TO ST. GEORGE, UT TO EXTRADITE AN INMATE BACK TO MESA COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. JUST WEST OF THE HANKSVILLE, UT AIRPORT, BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER NOTICED SMOKE IN THE AFT PART OF THE CABIN. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT TURNED OFF THE VENTILATION FAN BUT THE CABIN DID NOT CLEAR UP. THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE CABIN DOOR SEAL PRESSURIZATION FAN WAS ON. WHEN THE SWITCH FOR THE FAN WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION THE FAN CONTINUED TO RUN AND THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN BECAME WORSE. THE PILOT CYCLED THE SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE FAN WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. IN ORDER TO SHUT OFF THE FAN THE PILOT WAS REQUIRED TO TURN OFF THE AIRCRAFT MASTER SWITCH. AT THIS TIME THE CABIN WAS FULL OF DENSE BLACK SMOKE AND BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE USING PAPER TOWELS OVER THEIR FACES TO FILTER OUT THE SMOKE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT THE BRYCE CANYON AIRPORT. UPON LANDING BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES LATER, AND PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL AND SOME INSIDE PANELING AND DISCOVERED THAT THE AREA WAS STILL ON FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS USED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A LARGE BUNDLE OF WIRES LEADING TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, THE CABIN DOOR SEAL PRESSURE PUMP WAS DAMAGED FROM BEING OVERHEATED, AND THE AIRCRAFT PITOT-STATIC LINES WERE MELTED. UPON THE AIRCRAFT'S ARRIVAL AT GRAND JUNCTION, AUTHORIZED FERRY FLIGHT, THIS OFFICE WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT AND STATEMENTS OF ALL PERSONNEL INVOLVED WERE OBTAINED PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT'S DEPARTURE FROM BRYCE CANYON. THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO THIS REPORT SUMMATED ON 10/31/97. A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WILL BE SUBMITTED AS FOLLOWS: DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED JUST WEST OF THE HANKSVILLE, UT AIRPORT, AT 16,500 FT, ITWAS DETERMINED THAT THE PILOT OF A CESSNA P210N, WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE BRYCE CANYON AIRPORT DUE TO AN INFLIGHT FIRE. THE FIRE FILLED THE COCKPIT FULL OF SMOKE AND GREATLY IMPAIRED THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN AUXILLIARY AIR PUMP THAT IS USED TO INFLATE THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR SEALS. THE PUMP AND RELATED HARDWARE, CONTROLS, AND INDICATOR LIGHT WERE INSTALLED USING STC# SA2226NM. THE SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE DESIGN (STC) DOES NOT INDICATE A SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE TO INSTALL THE PUMP IN THE AIRCRAFT. IN THIS CASE THE PUMP WAS INSTALLED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE LOWER LEFT KICK PANEL AND LACKED PROPER VENTILATION. THE ONLY DIRECT MEANS OF TURNING OFF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE PUMP, IN THIS AIRCRAFT, WAS AN INLINE FUSE IN THE SYSTEM. THIS FUSE WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PILOT DURING FLIGHT (THE FUSE DID NOT BLOW IN THIS CASE). THERE IS AN OPTION FOR THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT TO HAVE A CIRCUIT BREAKER INSTALLED IN THE SYSTEM. THERE IS A PNEUMATIC SWITCH IN THE SYSTEM THAT SHUTS OFF THE AIR TO THE SEALS ONLY. WHEN THE PNEUMATIC SWITCH IS TURNED OFF IT CREATES A BACK PRESSURE TO THE PUMP AND THE PUMP SHUTS DOWN. THE PRESSURE SWITCHES LOCATED IN THE PUMP SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN. THIS SWITCH IS NOT TIED INTO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN ANY WAY. AN INDICATOR LIGHT IS INSTALLED IN THE SYSTEM. WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON IT INDICATES TO THE PILOT, THE PUMP IS RUNNING. THE LIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT WAS INSTALLED ON THE CENTER CONSOLE AND WAS NOT EASILY SEEN BY THE PILOT. THE STC DOES NOT INDICATE WHERE TO INSTALL THE LIGHT AND REQUIRE IT TO BE EASILY SEEN BY THE PILOT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE PUMP BURNING UP OR FAILING. THIS IS APPARENT AFTER TALKING WITH SEVERAL FIXED BASE OPERATORS (FBO'S). THE DEGREE OF FAILURE RANGES FROM JUST NOT RUNNING TO COMPLETE MELT-DOWN. IN THIS CASE, THE PUMP CAUGHT FIRE, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS. ACCORDING TO THE STC HOLDER THE PUMP IS DESIGNED TO RUN CONTINUALLY FOR NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT ONE TIME. IF THE PUMP RUNS MORE THAN 15 MINUTES CONTINUOUSLY IT WILL DISINTEGRATE. THERE IS ALSO NO DEICE IN THE SYSTEM TO PREVENT THE PUMP FROM RUNNING MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT A TIME. IN THIS CASE THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE DOOR SEAL THAT CAUSED THE PUMP TO RUN CONTINUOUSLY. BECAUSE THE RUN LIGHT WAS NOT PLACED IN A LOCATION IN WHICH IT WAS VISIBLE TO THE PILOT AT ALL TIMES, THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE LIGHT AND THE PUMP RAN UNTIL IT OVER HEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE. SOME OF THE FBO'S HAVE INDICATED TO ME, THAT WHEN THE PUMP BURNS UP, THEY ALWAYS FIND A HOLE IN THE ASSOCIATED DOOR SEAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^